Burn More Slowly
by Lady Kendra
Summary: Goku's departure at the end of GT doesn't guarantee Earth's safety. When a new enemy presents itself, the remaining Z Warriors must rally together to defeat them. Action, drama, and romance all included in this exhilarating continuation of DBGT!
1. Episode 1

AN: New story that takes place three years after GT. Please enjoy my new brain child. Best Path.

Burn More Slowly

TIME WILL TYPICALLY march forward, even if it drags day by day, or even second by excruciating second. A momentous occasion, good or bad, will soon become further away, simply because of the measurement that is time. Such was for Pan, that once her grandfather had disappeared with Shenlong, the days dragged and she could not forget all that had occurred during the Black Star Dragon Ball fiasco, Baby's invasion, Super 17, and then the Shadow Dragons...

It had changed her, the space travel, fighting all of these different villains with her grandfather, friends, and the rest of her family by her side. She didn't feel like the same little girl who had eagerly stowed away on Trunks' and Goku's shuttle. She had grown, become stronger, matured. And just as she had grown, her feelings for Trunks blossomed into a deep heart love. She missed his company each day, at a loss for why he didn't feel the same for her.

Of course, he'd been dating Marron, albeit secretly, before he'd left the hunt the Black Star Dragonballs and he'd resumed doing so once all the chaos quieted and Chikyuu was peaceful again. It wasn't that Pan was stalking him, but she stopped by Capsule Corp often to spend time with Bura, since they were friends. She'd even begged Vegeta to train her, and he seemed keen on wanting to, but had tersely replied that she'd have to wait until she was eighteen or her parents would have his head.

She'd been furious at the time, but had soon come to understand that she needed a break for a while. A few months to think, to heal, to adjust to her new life. A grueling training regimen with Vegeta might have brought out the worst in her, or perhaps would have hardened her teenage mind to the point of tearing down integral parts of her personality.

Perhaps it wouldn't have been so difficult if Goku hadn't disappeared. She loved her grandfather intensely, he had been both a family and beloved friend. Always a positive thinker, optimistic that he could defeat any enemy, his desperation in keep Earth safe his own saving grace each time he needed to be stronger, more powerful. That was her grandfather. Few men could stand up to such rigorous responsibility.

Her father grieved deeply, though he didn't let on. Pan knew that her father was taking Goku's absence hard. Grandma Chichi was too. Even Bulma and Vegeta had quieted some, their mutual respect for Goku keeping their arguments tame in comparison to their usual verbal brawls. Goku had left behind a void, where his loved ones missed him deeply and had to somehow find purpose, discover a reason to carry on in a world where they would never see him again.

"Grandpa..." Pan murmured softly, looking to the sky, as if maybe Goku would miraculously appear, having an amazing story about how he'd solved yet another near impossible riddle. But, no, he wasn't anywhere in the horizon. She could hope, pine, and wish, but it wouldn't bring her grandfather back. Kami-sama, she missed him. Her heart ached.

Time had marched ever forward, and now it had been three years since she'd last seen her grandfather. Since she'd begged Vegeta to teach her. She was nearing her eighteenth birthday, and was no where closer to any of her personal goals. She had achieved in school, her grades an empty accomplishment compared to what she wanted to for herself. She wanted to become Super Saiya-jin. She wanted to confess her love to Trunks, in the smallest chance that he would realize that they were the perfect match. That he wasn't doomed to the dull, droll life as Capsule Corporation's president.

She looked about her room, still very much a child's room, and she wrinkled her nose. She wasn't a child any longer. She wasn't quite a woman yet, but she certainly was not a child. She had matured enough to know that much. She flicked at the frilled seams of the cushion in her window seat. Hn.

Well, there was no point in staying, really. She had no appetite for whatever her mother was preparing for dinner, and her father was locked in his office, actively pursuing his lesson plans. He been a college professor for some time, and though she knew he enjoyed the student's bright minds, it wasn't the ultimate career that made his heart sing.

She tenderly slid her window open and slipped out into the dusk sky. Perfect cover for an escape, really. It seemed she could usually sneak out below her parents' notice. Or maybe they knew she was strong enough to defeat anyone who challenged her, and her safety wasn't something of question any more. Why required a curfew when you could beat any potential rapist into a pulp?

The night air was cool, the winds from earlier that afternoon having calm to a soft whirl. It was peaceful, and though she did not truly desire a new enemy, Pan desired for a life that was more than this. Roaming the universe had been an eye opening experience and Pan longed to travel and make contact with the array of species which existed out there. She could even learn new fighting techniques, as Goku himself had, while out and about in the galaxy.

She flew aimlessly, exploring the colder spires of the nearby mountain. The nocturnal animals had begun to stir and eyed her suspiciously. She ignored them and carried on, the land giving way to the ocean. She flew low enough to brush over the waves with her hands, and the surge of water pressure only mirrored the pressure building within her breast.

She turned back, heading into the city instead, keeping her flight high enough to avoid detection by human technology. The last thing she wanted was to be on the news. She had enough press coverage as Hercule's granddaughter as it was. Capsule Corporation loomed in the distance, most of it's corporate lights out for the evening. Trunks's office, however, remained lit. from the distance. Her keen Saiya-jin vision focused, and it was indeed Trunks, sitting as his desk, working late to finish paperwork.

What the hell? She flew down, perching in the spacious window. She tapped on the glass, and startled Trunks, who had been engrossed in his mindless paperwork.

"Pan! I didn't see you there!" he exclaimed, rushing to open the window and give her entry.

She slid through the window, aware of the her grace as she did so. The past three years had been kind to her, though she hadn't grown taller than 5'2''. But her waist was small, her limbs lean, her figure somewhat like a slim hourglass. At least she was pleased with herself. She had athletic grace, and many men noticed her now. "Hi Trunks." she replied, careful to keep her cool.

He returned to his desk, regarding her with surprise and what seemed to be pleasure at her unexpected company. "How have you been?" he queried, slouching comfortably at his desk.

She looked about the office, her gaze investigative and scrutinizing, though she knew Trunks's workplace well. "I've been well." she replied softly, turning her obsidian gaze to the man she wished would take her into his arms. But, no, she'd have to confess her feelings first, and Trunks, who was now openly dating Marron, would have to leave her and tell the world he loved Pan Son more. "How about you?"

He chuckled, shifting the paperwork around on his desk. "Been busy around here, that's for sure. But things are good. It's quiet, just how I like it." He seemed content to the being in the office and she doubted herself. Had the Grand Tour and everything else that ensued repel Trunks from his Saiya-jin nature? Was he content to settle down on Earth and live a human life? How could he, when she, having less Saiya-jin heritage than he, longed for travel and adventure?

Her lips quirked, and her heart ached. "So...you're content?" she asked hollowly.

He nodded enthusiastically. "Things have never been better. And, hey, you have a birthday coming up. The big eighteen!" he sounded, well, happy. And she could tell her cared for her, the affection in his voice was obvious. But, in all likelihood, he loved her as a sister, holding no more attraction for her than he would Bura. But...it couldn't hurt to try.

"Yes...I'll be a woman in the eyes of human society." she replied quietly. She walked up to Trunks's desk, placing her hands on them as if she were a businessman who wanted Trunks to seal the deal. "Once I am 'legal', would you consider going on a date?" She was bold, and blissfully she didn't blush or stammer. Womanhood was going to suit her well, she sensed.

He was the one to blush, to stammer, to seem unsure. "Wow, uh, Pan-chan..." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, a habit he likely picked up from Goku during the Black Star Dragon Ball hunt. She felt like slapping him for his retreat into insecurity. Emotions were nothing to shy away from.

Pan watched him, her brow arching. Trunks was thirty one years old now, and he was seemingly clueless on how to handle his family friend's crushing teenage daughter. She remained stoic, her expression schooled very much like Vegeta's would have been in a similar circumstance. If they were going to use one another's families and their mannerism to deal with the present situation, Vegeta's were far more cool and collected.

"I really appreciate the gesture, Pan, but I'm dating Marron-"

"If you weren't?" she interrupted, challenged. Because if there was even a fraction of a chance...

"...I love her. And if she weren't in my life, well...Pan, there's such an age difference between us. You're like a sister to me. I love you dearly, but not...romantically." He seemed timid, probably so as not to stomp on her feelings. But she didn't want him to try to protect her.

"I see. Well, thank you for your honesty. It's refreshing." she replied, her heart going numb. The shock of the rejection was probably getting to her. She'd probably burst into tears if she remained in this office any longer. She bowed to him, turned, and strode to the window.

"Pan? Wait! Do you...do you want to talk?" He was probably afraid that she'd run and cry to her father. But she wasn't a child anymore to be bounced upon her father's knee. He would not know of this evening, at least not from her.

She paused, crouched in the window sill. She turned to look at him, the lavender haired prince who had once held her heart, and a single tear trailed down her smooth cheek. "It's alright. I said what I had to say. See you 'round."

She jumped out into the night sky, ignoring Trunks's sputtering protests. But, truly, there was nothing to talk about, and she wouldn't break down in front of him. She had more dignity than that. She wouldn't bother Trunks with her feelings ever again. It was not his burden, only hers.

The flight soothed her, the wind drying her tears and tenderly as her own mother would have. She sobbed as she flew, knowing that nothing was as it had been, nor would it ever be again. Grandpa Goku was gone, Trunks had diminished somehow, becoming lesser than he was, and she herself had no direction, no future that was apparent to her.

Her anger surged. How had it come to this? The boring, meaningless existence? What was she to do? Go to college like her parents expected? Marry some human boy, settle down? No, that was not for her. Her Saiya-jin blood called to her, whispered sultrily in her ear of battles, glory, honor, blood. No, she could not fully embrace her human side. Not like Trunks could.

Her heart thudded in her breast bone, her anger escalating. This whole forsaken planet her grandfather had sacrificed his life for was not the same treasure to her. It was a prison, a drab shadow of what it really was to live. Her ki rose, boiling in her blood, her body beginning to glow in the night sky.

"If you push a little further, you may just reach Super Saiya-jin." Vegeta's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

She turned, startled, so wrapped up in her own fury that she hadn't noticed his arrival. "Then fucking train me!" she rasped, angry tears trailing down her face. She didn't care if Vegeta saw her cry, let him say whatever snide remark he wanted.

He floated close to her, his arms crossed, his expression stern. "You're not eighteen yet." he replied stonily. Vegeta was a fortress in and of himself, an impenetrable force, even in death.

Her anger flared. "It's less than two weeks away! My parents aren't going to pitch whatever fit you're imagining they will!" she could not cull her voice to hold respect for the man her own grandfather held much regard and love for.

"My word is just that: my word. I will not break it for your bought of hysteria." His words were enough to shatter any ounce of self control she had left and she snapped, hurling herself at him, her ki climbing ever higher.

"Train me you self righteous prick! I'm just as good as any other warrior! Train me!" she screamed at him, attacking in a flurry of kicks, punches, and minor ki blasts. Her power rose dangerously high, blinding her, her adrenaline far beyond her control.

"You're apparently not good enough for my son, so why would you be good enough for me to train?" he retorted. He was still calm, effectively dodging most of her attacks, and brushing off the ones that did strike as if they were a child's. He hadn't even powered up to fight her.

Her mind snapped and she howled. Her body glowed golden, her hair lifting, her grandfather's beloved orange handkerchief burning to ash off her very head. Her eyes gleamed that ethereal turquoise, her clothing singing at the mere heat of her power. She attacked him full force, and this time he did power up to fend her off.

"I'm more than good enough!" she roared. "I am the granddaughter of Son Goku! His blood runs through my veins!" She connected with Vegeta's mouth as she yelled, and she drew blood. It shocked her to have done such a thing and she paused. She looked at herself; taking note of the glow, the energy. She was Super Saiya-jin. And Vegeta's goading had pushed her over that proverbial edge.

Exhaustion followed after the realization and she dropped from the sky, unconscious. Vegeta caught her, brushing her now soft, sable strands of hair from her face. "Arrogant upstart." he chided softly, his voice lacking bite. He held his greatest enemy's granddaughter, wondering why is was his duty now to do what Goku should have. It seemed the brainless idiot was always neglecting some sort of familial duty.

Pan's ascension to Super Saiya-jin had caught attention, and several ki signatures were rushing to their location rather quickly. They wouldn't be alone much longer, and so Vegeta waited. He laid Pan upon the grassy hill where they had come to duel and sat close beside her. And sure as Kami was green, Gohan and Videl were the first to touch down.

"What happened?" Gohan demanded frantically, he and his wife dropping to their daughter's side.

Vegeta remained calm, though he knew he'd be frantic if it were his own daughter. "She merely breached the void between herself and her powers." he answered, not moving from his position. His lip was still bleeding, and would likely be fat for the next day or so.

Gohan paused in his frantic fathering. "Panny attain Super Saiya-jin?" he looked from Vegeta down to his daughter in awe. He, Goten, and Trunks had all attained the title as children, and since Pan hadn't done so yet he wondered if she was even capable, since her Saiya-jin blood only accounted for a quarter of her heritage.

Videl remained silent, for these alien happenings were still not something she was entirely accustomed to, though she had been in Gohan's company since they were teenagers. She tended to her daughter, checking for any serious injuries. Seeing that she was basically unharmed, Videl sighed gratefully.

"She has much potential. I'd like to train her." Vegeta finally intoned.

Gohan blinked. Vegeta had become a recluse in the last few years since Goku had left and he was now the sole strongest warrior on the planet. He would leave planet side often to conduct his training more intensely in deep space. And if he was on planet, he was locked away in his gravity room. Such an offer would be a great opportunity for Pan, if she wanted it.

He knew his daughter, knew her restlessness, knew her call to battle and blood. It was a quality he often suppressed in himself, and he knew it was difficult. Pan would jump at the offer. Though it wasn't his place to accept or decline for her. "She'll need a few days of rest, but she's nearly eighteen now. It's her choice to make."

Gohan's heart felt heavy, to know that Pan would elevate herself to somewhere where he couldn't necessarily follow. But her happiness was of the utmost importance, and she certainly wasn't happy now. He had seen his daughter's discontent grow each day since Goku had gone. He loved his daughter more than anyone else in this world, even his own father, and he couldn't keep her from her destiny, no matter how much he longed to keep her safe.

Vegeta nodded. "Good enough." And since he was no longer needed, he left. He was certain Pan would approach him in a few days one she was fully healed. There was no reason to cease his own training. She would be a handful, that was certain, and he'd need to be prepared.

Goten touched down as Vegeta left and he blinked. "What'd I miss?" he queried, rushing to Pan's side as he assessed the situation.

"She's alright. Vegeta somehow goaded her to reach Super Saiya-jin, though I don't know exactly what happened." Gohan replied, smiling to see that Goten's concerned had roused him from bed. "Nice pajamas." he commented, appraising the rubber duck motif of Goten's lounge pants. The younger Son hadn't bothered with a shirt, so it was obvious he'd left the house in a rush, probably with Chichi shrieking at him as he left.

Goten snorted at his brother's teasing. "I felt Pan's ki, and Vegeta's, and wondered...well, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." He helped Gohan lift the tiny woman-child. "Do you need any help?"

Gohan shook his head. "I've got it from here. Get back to bed, and please let Mom know that everything is alright." He rolled his eyes, for Chichi's theatrics and hysterics had not calmed in her old age. He cradled his grown daughter to his chest, wishing that she was still little and wasn't about to become Vegeta's primary student. Her near future probably included a lot of the time in that regeneration tank Gohan knew Vegeta housed somewhere in Capsule Corp.

Goten nodded, acknowledging the mini family before taking off in the direction of Chichi's home. Gohan shook his head, wondering if Goten would ever move out, or if he was content to spending his adult years as a Momma's boy. It seemed Goten, like Pan, was dissatisfied with his current life as well. Gohan shook his head. Goku had left behind such a chasm in their family. He felt an irrational surge of anger for his somewhat ditzy father.

"It's late honey, let's go." His wife touched his arm tenderly, and he gazed into her sky blue eyes deeply. There was nothing that needed to be said. She was all too aware of how things had changed, how...unsettled everything was in Goku's absence. He nodded in agreement to her suggestion and together they took off towards their own home, their daughter safely within their grasp, if only for the moment.

THE FLIGHT HOME for Vegeta was uneventful, though his brain kept reviewing all that had just occurred. Son Goku's little granddaughter had just proven her worth, and it was about time. He would have trained her at any time, really, so long as she had shown herself capable to breaching the Super Saiya-jin barrier. But perhaps she'd needed the emotional pain of Trunks's imminent rejection to push her past that brink.

He'd known all about the Son girl's silly infatuation with his son and quite frankly he questioned the girl's taste. His son was handsome, yes, but had become something completely unSaiya-jin in the last three years. It was a hassle just to drag the boy into the gravity room for a routine training session. Entirely unsuitable, really, for a warrior spirit such a Pan to take to mate. Trunks had changed after the Grand Tour, rejecting his Saiya-jin heritage, choosing instead to become the successor of Bulma's corporate empire. Which was fine, in the grand scheme of things, though Vegeta was inwardly disappointed with his son's choice.

Pan, however, showed much promise and was meant for far greater things than as the trophy wife that Marron embodied. The blond progeny of Goku's old friend and that bucket of bolts was quite the match for his son. Too bad the bloodline would dwindle the Saiya-jin nature further...

Seeing as how he was the last full blooded Saiya-jin left that was to be expected, he supposed. To slowly watch all of the greatness that was once his race become diluted with Chikyuu-jin blood. He loved his mate, and didn't begrudge Bulma her birth, but it was an unfortunate side effect. His son was weak, and his daughter was...right in front of him.

"What happened? Is Pan alright?" His own daughter was frantic, worried about her friend. And from Bura's point of view, reasonably so. Pan was unconscious, exhausted from her transformation, and her ki was negligible at best. It could appear that she was severely injured or worse, to someone with little ki reading experience, such as Bura.

The night carried a slight chill, so Vegeta pulled his daughter into the protection of his arms. Bura was wearing pajamas herself, her hair rustled from her haste to get to where ever the conflict was. "Dad!" she cried, her panic rising.

"Your friend is fine. She merely attained Super Saiya-jin. Goku's elder whelp is taking her home." he answered, the rumble of his voice calming his teenage daughter.

Bura withdrew from her father's arms. She didn't fly often, and wanted to do so herself. It was actually kind of embarrassing, to be seventeen and not be able to fly or fight to a competent degree. And now Pan had become Super Saiya-jin as well. She wondered belatedly if all of the time she spent on her own studies could be better spent elsewhere, like in the gravity room with her father.

"Are you going to train her?" She knew all too well Pan's indignation over Vegeta's refusal to train her until her eighteenth birthday. His nod was reply enough. If Pan was going to receive training then... "I want to train too!" Bura chimed.

Vegeta blinked at his daughter's statement. She hadn't ever taken an interest in her powers. "You'll break a nail." he retorted instantly. Bura was usually a focused girl when it came to her studies and her tutelage as a future scientist and potential vice-president of Capsule Corporation. But to be devoted to becoming a warrior...he doubted his daughter's devotion to such a cause.

"I'll cut them." she replied stubbornly. She was tough. The Saiya-jin princess knew if she put her mind to it, then she could accomplish anything. She was as much Vegeta as she was Bulma.

Vegeta chuckled, unable to resist his daughter's charms. "Very well. If you are serious, then meet me in the gravity room at 5 am sharp. Don't be late or I won't bother teaching you." He continued his journey home, aware that his daughter lagged behind him, struggling to keep up. He kept his flight slower than was normal for him, and wondered if he'd ever be able to truly be tough on his precious child.

Once they arrived home he didn't bother saying good night to Bura, and instead retreated to the bedroom he shared with his long time mate. Bulma was sixty four now, and was becomingly increasingly uncomfortable in her old age. Vegeta didn't think of himself as old, but had learned in his time on Chikyuu that his current age was considered old by Chikyuu-jin standards.

She was in bed, already slipping into her dreams. He undressed quietly and efficiently, slipping slowly into bed to avoid disturbing his mate. But she wasn't not completely asleep, and stirred to address him. "Vegeta? What happened?" her voice slurred from her fatigue. She got tired more often now...her body becoming more frail.

It frightened him. The prospect of life without her...

"Pan became Super Saiya-jin." he repeated for the third time that evening. He pulled her closer, certain to be tender. Any lack of control could result in broken bones at this stage.

Bulma smiled. "Goku would have been so proud."

The mention of the third class idiot made Vegeta scowl deeper than usual. "Well, proud as he may have been, I am the one who will teach her now." That 'bakasaru' low class imbecile was always inconveniencing him, even form the grave. He felt irrational fury with Goku for leaving in the first place, leaving him alone on this backwater planet with nary a good sparring partner to be had. It seemed that he'd have to train Goku's replacement. Sparring Pan might alleviate his anger over Goku's abandonment and his wife's unceasing aging. This could be good.

She smiled, knowing that this turn of events would be good for him and that he'd arrived at that conclusion himself. At the very least it would serve as a distraction. "I'm sure you'll do a great job." she encouraged warmly.

He snorted. "Well, now my hands are twice as full. Our daughter has the crazy notion that she wants to learn too." He wasn't entirely sure that Bura would even show up tomorrow morning on time, let alone stick to a training regimen.

Bulma blinked. "Do you really think our Bura could handle such-"

"Of course she can," he cut her off, "she's just as much Saiya-jin as Trunks." Bulma's prudish human sensibilities held no clout when it came to a Saiya-jin's strength. Bura could do anything that Trunks could, gender didn't matter when power was concerned. Bura could even exceed her own brother, for his laziness was doing him no good.

"I trust your judgment." She kissed him deeply, in a manner that still made his blood boil with desire. He gingerly rolled on top of her, gazing down at her loveliness that did not seem to diminish with her age. He loved her as much as he had when she was young, if not more. He touched her gently, with the feather light pressure she so enjoyed.

The prospect of training both Pan and Bura was not overwhelming by any means, but it would be an undertaking. He hoped he would have enough patience for Pan's surly temper and enough will to be stern with his own daughter.

"Then trust me to bring both the Son girl and our daughter into their full potential." he murmured against Bulma's porcelain skin. She nodded, a wordless moan escaping her lips. And nothing more was said concerning this matter.


	2. Episode 2

AN: Second chapter of the new brain baby. Enjoy, and Best Path. :) The ages are as follows: Trunks 30, Goten 29, Marron 26, Uub 23, Pan 18, Bura 17.

Burn More Slowly

WHEN GOTEN RETURNED home from Pan's Super Saiya-jin fiasco he'd given his mother a bare bones explanation, which had her dialing Gohan's number instantly. He ignored her shrill tone as she berated his older brother. In the security of his own bedroom, he found that something within him was unsettled. He had climb into bed, only to find that he tossed and turned, praying fervently that rest would come, but it continuously eluded him.

He sat up, kicking his sheets aside as he left the warmth of his bed. The moon was only a sliver in the sky, so his room was pitch black. Any efforts to see were attained through his Saiya-jin vision alone. He opened his window, perching comfortably in it's fat frame. He'd often sit at his bedroom window as a child, listening to Gohan tell tales of all the might feats their father had accomplished. His younger self would gaze into the sky, wondering if maybe their father was listening from the Kai's perch or where ever he may be, looking benevolently down upon his two children.

As he grew into manhood, he learned that his father usually was not paying attention, or having it diverted elsewhere. He felt old bitternesses gnaw further, burrowing deeper within his breast. His relationship with his father had always been, complicated, to say the least. He had adored and worshiped him as one might a god as a child, though that quickly gave way to a teenage anger and resentment when he saw that though his father loved his wife and children, he was distracted by grander things in life and the after life.

And now, as an adult, having lost any opportunity to further know that elusive man that was his sire, he didn't know what to think. All he knew was how he felt: bitter, cheated, unloved, unwanted. He had no place in this world his father had left him behind on. Since his birth he'd been afterthought, and only the kindness of his older brother's guidance had brought him to this point in his life. He had no lofty goals, no thoughts for himself, and no cause worthy of his attention. Goku cast a long shadow over Goten's life through his thoughtless selfishness.

How extraordinary that his niece, Pan, had attained Super Saiya-jin. That whole incident had set off this current chain of thought and feeling. It had reminded him that no matter how he ignored, suppressed, or avoided them, his problems were lurking there, just under the surface. He had sedated himself into a going nowhere, doing nothing lifestyle, just to keep himself from exploding in a hailstorm of righteous indignation at his lot in aforementioned life.

His niece's ascension also showed him the lack of focus in his life. Pan had been begging Vegeta to teach her for nearly three years now. What had he done in that time? Goten could have trained her himself, but he had been too busy wallowing in his own depression that had blanketed him like a heavy snowfall once his father had left for the ultimate and last time. Not only had he stagnated his own training, but he'd prevented, secondarily, Pan's progress as a warrior too.

It was likely that Vegeta would begin to train Pan now that she had literally proven her worth. He felt a pang of hurt in his chest. The thrill of battle...it had been too long since he'd last felt it. He noticed that Trunks had allowed his own training to fall to the wayside as well. They both hadn't quite become the men their fathers had been, it seemed.

Perhaps Vegeta would allow him to sit in on Pan's training sessions...sparring with her himself a bit, just to make sure she'd be okay... And if Vegeta desired a stronger sparring partner, or maybe wanted to show Pan an example of a certain attack or defense...

Goten felt excitement at the budding possibility. Perhaps Vegeta could train him too. He still had a lot to learn, so long as Vegeta was stronger than himself. He could even surpass him someday. Feeling better, he closed his bedroom window and returned to bed. He set an alarm for 4:30 am. That would give him ample time to greet Vegeta outside of his gravity chamber in the morning and humbly ask the Saiya-jin Prince to train him personally.

His eyes closed, and within moments he was asleep.

GOHAN OBSERVED HIS wife as she performed her motherly duties diligently towards their nearly grown teenage daughter. Videl was aware of her husband's gaze, and aware that his current emotional state was similar to a tiny ship tossed about the ocean during a storm. "Please talk to me." she murmured, her gaze not straying from her cleansing of Pan's injuries, though they were minor.

Gohan snapped from his reverie, and sighed heavily. "It's just difficult to adjust when your only child isn't a child anymore." There was a tinge of sadness in his voice that went beyond just Pan's growth.

Videl kept her emotions carefully contained. She and Gohan had discussed and even argued repeatedly over the number of children they'd wanted to have. Just Pan had been enough for her, where as Gohan had wanted one or two more. But he hadn't been the one to be home alone all day with a Saiya-jin infant who used ki during her temper tantrums. She sighed softly, she and Gohan had also been young when they'd married and had Pan. They hadn't really had the life experience to handle such great responsibilities at the time, nor did they have the finances to fund their budding family comfortably.

"She loves us. We'll never truly lose her, not like you fear." The death of her own mother when she had been a girl sometimes made Videl not as nurturing or soft as another female could be. She could be too tough, too unyielding. Just as Chichi's incessant mothering had given Gohan a softer, sweeter disposition that was unlike a more typical male.

Gohan rubbed at the migraine that was brewing at his temples. "Am I transferring my unresolved issues over my father's...disappearances onto our daughter?" Once Goku had left, Gohan had sunk into a depression so deep that his relationship with Videl was suffering. So, together, they had decided to see a counselor, who often made Gohan confront his unresolved issues from his childhood, especially those concerning his father's absences.

"I know you're scared." Videl answered as she collected the medical supplies she had taken from the household first aid kit and replaced them. She pulled the covers up to Pan's chin and motioned to her husband to leave the room.

Gohan followed his wife, sparing once last glance to his daughter before joining his wife in the hall. She walked down the hall towards Gohan's office and he followed her. It seemed they had taken to conducting all of their serious conversations in Gohan's office, and over the years they had learned to calmly resolve most of their problems in that room. He sat at his, and Videl perched herself neatly in Gohan's lap.

He had still not replied to her comment, and she wasn't sure if she'd assumed to much over him. "Gohan?" Her hand brushed his cheek and that was what broke him.

"I am scared." he answered, his breath quavering. "I have seen everyone I love die time and time again...so many times I've looked at the damn near impossible situations we've been in and wondered if that was it, if we wouldn't pull through this time." his voice cracked, tears slipping unbidden down his smooth face.

Videl grabbed tissues from Gohan's desk drawer, lovingly pressing them to his tears. She said nothing, for she knew her husband hated these vulnerable moments when the past triggered him, paralyzing him in the present.

"I was so young, Videl, when my uncle came and killed my father. I was five, and then Mr. Piccolo trained me in the wilderness until Vegeta and Nappa came to kill us...I fought alongside my family and friends, and every time I ever fucked up somebody died. Back in the Cell games, my own arrogance..." He took more tissues from his wife's extended hand and he tried to pull himself together, failing miserably.

Videl nodded sympathetically. Gohan had been your average teenager when she had met him, but as the years passed, the post traumatic stress from everything he endured in his childhood had begun to take its toll on him. Over the years she had come to understand that her husband had deep emotional wounds from everything he had endured growing up as Son Goku's first child.

"He fucking left me, Videl. Again and again. And after the Cell games, when Mom was pregnant with Goten, he left again. And, I didn't have to become Goten's surrogate father, but I did because my poor mother was so shocked and grieved over Dad's death that she couldn't do it alone. And, when he was born, he looked so much like Dad..." he dissolved into deep heaving sobs at this point, and Videl held her husband to her chest.

"Panny won't leave you. Not like him. She loves you, and isn't absent minded the way that Goku-san was." she soothed, stroking her husband's enviably sable hair. Their daughter had always had a strong bond with Gohan, every bit a Daddy's girl, tomboyish though she was.

He hugged his wife closely, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Whenever this emotional storm hit it always swept him away, and it took some time before he could collect himself. "I know. She's not inconsiderate like that." his voice had almost taken the tone of a sullen teen.

"Your father did a lot of what he did due to his own ignorances, Gohan." His wife's blue gaze caught his own ebony, and he calmed marginally.

The elder Son laughed. "I know. He was clueless about everything. He didn't even know how to keep his own wife happy." He dried the remnants of his tears, tossing his tissues in the garbage can. "A twelve year old boy shouldn't be privy to his mother nagging to his father about her lack of a sex life."

Videl winced. "Gohan..."

"That's why I bend over backwards to make sure every little thing is to your satisfaction. That's why I'm so weak to females whenever they expect anything of me." His ball busting mother hadn't helped him anymore than his dead beat father had. And raising Goten had put more pressure on his life then he'd cared for.

"It wasn't fair. I know that. But it's not happening now. Pan is just going to be training with Vegeta." Videl reminded him calmly.

Gohan leaned back, pulling his wife close. "I know. These are afflicted emotions from the past that are causing me to suffer in the present." He closed his eyes, taking more deep, even breaths.

Videl smiled softly, kissing Gohan's brow tenderly. "She is becoming a beautiful woman." she commented softly. And, indeed, she was. Then had done quite well with their daughter, despite their differences, struggles, and conflicts.

"She is." he agreed, running his fingers up his wife's arm. He squeezed her slightly, enjoying how she had allowed her body to soften slightly with her age. In their youth Videl had kept herself more muscular, and the softness she now had increased her femininity. "Like you." He pressed soft kisses on her neck, trailing up to her ear.

He knew her spots, and she shivered in response. "Even though I am becoming old?" They had just celebrated their fortieth birthdays not too far from one another, and Gohan looked much better for the wear. People often though he was Pan's brother instead of her father, where as she was undoubtedly Pan's mother.

"You'll always be beautiful to me. As Vegeta stands by Bulma, I will stand beside you." His reply was so unfailingly romantic that she wrapped her arms about his neck and laid a deep kiss on her handsome, half-alien husband.

"Thank you." she whispered in his ear, and for the moment they were content in one another's arms.

BURA ARRIVED AT at the gravity chamber even before her father did. She knew he'd said 5 am, but she'd beat him to the punch by arriving at 4 am instead. She could hardly sleep the night before, eager to learn everything her father could possibly teach her. She'd cut all of her nails short and removed the pink polish that had lacquered them previously. She dressed in a spandex suit similar to those that her father perpetually wore, leaving little to the imagination.

He entered the gravity room, a towel and a gallon on water in hand, and blinked in surprise to see his daughter had beat him to the chase and exceed even his own expectations. "Well, I suppose you're ready then." he replied, and moved to attack her.

This threw her off guard and she fought back instinctively, relying on her Saiya-jin nature to guide her through this tussle. She knew he was going incredibly easy on her, but she didn't mind. Her father was a strong warrior who could kill her with a breath of ki. It was better not to goad him into using greater strength on her.

He attacked her until she received the first blow that drew blood. To Bura it had felt like eons, when in all reality it was probably not even five minutes. It hurt, though she didn't realize how much until she stopped and pressed her trembling fingers to her swollen mouth. It occurred to her that this was the first time she had ever truly fought with her father.

Trunks had shown her the basics of fighting when she was younger when a boy had picked on her in school. The generic punches, kicks, and of course, dodging. It was a sibling moment of bonding that she recalled fondly. And her father had been extremely proud of them both once he'd discovered the mini-lesson. That lesson was what had served her now, in this minor skirmish with her sire. "Well done." he commended, and her heart leapt in joy.

"I...I think I can do this." she breathed, astonished that she'd fought, that she bled, that her father was proud. Her body was still trembling slightly, and she could barely contain the charge she felt coursing through her veins.

Vegeta nodded, retrieving his towel to blot at his daughter's swollen lip. His touch was as tender with her as he would be his aging wife. The two precious things he held above all others. He dabbed at the fresh wound, her blood crimson against the stark white of the terry cloth. "Of course."

He'd sounded almost impatient, but she knew he felt the streak of pride that his very human-like daughter was embracing her ancestors' warrior ways. "I want to become Super Saiya-jin too, Otousama." Her eyes gleamed with the fire of a Saiya-jin spirit. He could not quell such ambition in her.

"And under my tutelage, you shall." he responded earnestly. She beamed and the lesson continued. Time got away from the father and daughter as they became immersed in their training session. Suddenly the 'doorbell', of sorts, rang outside the gravity chamber.

They both both turned to regard whomever the visitor might be, both startled to find that it was Goten. Vegeta was surprised because Goten hadn't entered his gravity chamber since the younger Son brother was a teenager, and Bura because she harbored a huge crush on Goten and became nervous whenever he was near her.

"What is it?" Vegeta questioned expectantly.

Goten, not expecting Bura of all people to be sparring with Vegeta, was thrown off. "Oh...I...uh..." He dropped to kneel before Vegeta as a soldier would kneel before his liege. "I have come to formally request your personal training and to offer assistance where your potential student Pan is concerned." he spoke eloquently. He hastily added the respectful title of 'Ouji-sama' as an after thought, but Vegeta was already more than exasperated.

"I'm already training Bura, and once Pan has recovered I will be training her as well! Do you think I have all the time in the world to be training you whelps when you could have broached the same request when we were both far younger with more leisure?" Vegeta growled impatiently. What was it with these kids? For decades none of them express any interest in fighting, and then Pan goes off and becomes a Super Saiya-jin! And now they were lining up outside his gravity chamber!

Goten grinned sheepishly, but he already had a solution to Vegeta's dilemma.. "I could train Bura on the basics and get her prepared to become Super Saiya-jin while you cultivate Pan's powers." Bura's heart pitter-pattered at Goten's suggestion, though she kept her features schooled. She couldn't let on to either Goten or Vegeta how much she liked the idea.

The Saiya-jin Prince ran Goten's scenario through his mind, trying to find fault with his suggestion. But Goten was well trained in the basics, had even achieved Super Saiya-jin level two himself...so he could be a good tutor to Bura, as long as Vegeta observed and inserted his own superior skills where necessary. Though, he had to admit, Son Goten was very good at improvisation when he fought. He was quite creative as a fighter, actually.

He had little reason to say no. Goten's assistance would be of great help. "Very well," Vegeta sighed, "you and Bura decide amongst yourselves a schedule that will be appropriate for the both of you and do not stray from that. I will conduct the training of Pan on my own leisure, and you two must adhere to that."

Both students nodded in agreement, shouting 'Hai!' in unison.

"Good, now fight amongst yourselves. I'm getting something to eat." Vegeta muttered, stalking of to leave his and Goku's progeny to spar. Honestly, the audacity of these kids!

Bura and Goten watched the sulky Prince leave and turned to one another. It occurred to Goten that Bura might not necessarily be happy that he had assigned himself to be her tutor, effectively cutting down on the time she'd be spending with her dad. "Sorry about that..." he trailed off uncertainly. Was Vegeta angry with them now? It was so hard to read Vegeta at times.

Bura, who was elated that Goten, the object of her affections, would now be her tutor, arched a brow. "Sorry? For what?" she queried, honestly confused. She wondered if maybe Goten did not want to tutor her, but was only doing so in the event that Vegeta would train him as well.

"Well, if you were looking forward to spending time with your dad, I kind of limited it by offering to teach you the basics instead." he explained. He had been incredibly hurt by his own father going off with Uub for ten years to train in the wilderness, neglecting his own family.

He vaguely wondered how Uub was doing, since he'd never really come to know him as an adult. The former Majin and himself had an age difference of seven years, and so they had never played together as children or anything of the sort. If he remembered correctly, Buu's reincarnation was about twenty three years old right now. Just old enough to do anything that truly matter in the scheme of this society. But, he digressed.

The Saiya-jin Princess shook her head, her heart thumping loudly. She hoped Goten couldn't hear it. She hoped she didn't seem like a teenage girl mooning over her crush. "It's okay. I look forward to learning from you."

She gave a slight bow to show respect, and Goten grinned sheepishly. "Geez, I've never been a sensei before, so pardon the mistakes that I make." The task actually seemed to be quite the undertaking, and he wasn't sure where to start.

She laughed. "We can make the mistakes together." She knew she wasn't perfect, nor did she expect Goten to be. "So, is there a particular time or days of the week that would work well with you?"

Goten looked thoughtful. "Honestly...I'm not doing much at the moment...I want to pursue fighting seriously right now. So...whenever." He didn't even bother to fake prior engagements. He had no reason to lie to Bura, or seem like he had a more full social calendar. Appearances be damned.

Bura, on the other hand, had quite the opposite dilemma. She had finished her G.E.D. early, when she had been fifteen. Now she was working towards her Bachelor's degree, and at seventeen she was already halfway complete. Perhaps she should be prudent and consider her school schedule. Or, she could slow herself to a more reasonable pace of 12 credits a semester. Her mind was very quick, and she had an affinity towards the sciences as her mother had. Bura had hoped to maybe become a scientist on the Capsule Corp's payroll by the time she was twenty.

But fighting...she felt drawn to it, had always had a curiosity, but hadn't ever pushed until now. And here was the golden opportunity: Goten had said he didn't have anything else to do. "Let's meet everyday, except Mondays."

"Mondays?" he queried, wondering what Bura had to do on Mondays. If they were to have a day off, wouldn't Saturday or Sunday be better?

"Yeah...I just hate them." Her disdain was obvious, and he laughed. "What?" she asked, defensive, "Don't you hate them too?"

"Yeah, back when I was in high school." he replied honestly. High school, what a trip. He was thirty now, so it had been about twelve years. He knew Bura already had her G.E.D. and was currently enrolled in university, but she was still only seventeen, and quite the bookworm.

"Well, you can take it or leave it. I still hate them." She plopped down on the floor of the gravity chamber, and Goten crouched beside her so keep the conversation in close range. "I think at least two hours would be good," she said, effectively changing the subject, "but we can carry over if you want. And we probably shouldn't crowd the gravity room first thing in the morning, and then I have classes, so evenings would be better. Say, oh, 6 pm?"

"After dinner is fine." he replied evenly. It wasn't like he had anything else to do, and it'd be nice to spar with Vegeta earlier in the day, then finish out the day molding Bura's prowess.

"Well," she said, stretching her legs out, "shall we spar?"

He extended his hands and they pulled one another up in unison. "Let's do this." Their bodies became blurs, moving to strike, counter, and dodge one another.

PAN AWOKE WHEN the sun had began its descent into the west. She was alone, and in the comfort of her own room and bed. The house was quiet, and she felt out her parents' familiar ki signatures to see that neither of them were home. It was nice, actually, to have her solitude.

She wasn't sure what day it was, but she recalled how she had confessed her feelings to Trunks. And then she had run across Vegeta, who had goaded her into becoming a Super Saiya-jin. And then she remembered nothing.

She fumbled on her nightstand for her alarm clock, wincing when she saw that she'd been unconscious for nearly twenty four hours. It was apparent that ascension to Super Saiya-jin took a lot out of someone when they attained it. Her body ached, and she had minor burns, cuts, and bruises. Her clothing, which no one had bothered to remove for her, was frayed and singed everywhere.

She slinked out of bed tenderly, mindful of her injuries and hobbled down the hall to the bathroom. She stripped herself of her damaged clothing, feeling a pang of regret when she recalled that her grandfather's gi, which she had used as a handkerchief for years, had disintegrated. She did have a complete gi that her grandfather had left behind when he left with Shenlong, but she didn't want to cut it up to make another headpiece for herself.

"I guess I need to let go of you, if only this little bit." she murmured aloud, as if her grandfather were in the room and could hear her. Would he be upset? Or glad that she had grown, if only marginally. How would he feel about her attaining Super Saiya-jin? She knew him well, and had a feeling that he'd be just as excited as she felt.

Her whole life to this point had been pursuing the elusive power of Super Saiya-jin. Now that she had accessed that source of infinitesimal power, what could she do with it? Her thoughts turned to Vegeta. Would he train her now? She had proven her worth as a warrior, in her own eyes. Surely he could be convinced...to hell with his excuses to wait until her eighteenth birthday. She'd show him exactly what her potential was. Now he could not refuse her.

She jumped into the shower, washing herself quickly, and returned to her room to dress. She had to go to Vegeta, to convince him to train her. She couldn't waste another moment. Not when she had finally become the very thing she had longed for the most. She left her house before her parents even came home, and didn't bother to leave a note.

She raced across the skies to Capsule Corp, thinking of Trunks and his complete rejection of her. He had been kind enough, but it was still rejection nonetheless. But somehow it didn't bother her so much anymore. The Trunks she'd crush on as a girl wasn't the same man anymore. He'd become content, soft, weak...human. It was apparent that as he aged he would only become more complacent with a normal, human life.

She couldn't admire that. She couldn't respect or love a man who didn't possess a warrior's spirit, as she herself did. It seemed she would be single until she met a man who could match her. She didn't mind. She'd be busy attempting to master Super Saiya-jin, and then pushing herself to the next level thereafter.

The granddaughter of Son Goku touched down in the backyard of Capsule Corporation, not surprised to see that the gravity chamber was on and occupied. But she was surprised to see Goten and Bura inside, in addition to Vegeta, fighting together while Vegeta floated about the room, barking orders and critiquing their form. She rang the bell, waiting expectantly for them to respond.

"I didn't expect you here so soon." Vegeta said flatly when he answered, stepping aside for her to enter. Goten and Bura both greeted her cheerfully, offering congratulations on her achievement.

"What's going on here?" Pan asked, looking amongst the trio. Had Vegeta taken both Goten and Bura on as students, effectively removing her opportunity for any training herself? Why would he take them, for neither of them had expressed the will or interest in fighting, over herself? She felt crushed.

"Well," Goten interjected, "Bura and I both became inspired to fight when we learned that you had become Super Saiya-jin, so we all agreed that I would train Bura in the basics while Vegeta trained you, and Vegeta would train me also..."

Pan blinked, looking amongst her sensei, uncle, and close friend. "So...we're having a Saiya-jin boot camp?"

Bura nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! What do you think?"

Pan grinned widely. "This is awesome! None of us will ever suffer from the lack of a sparring partner again!" Not only would she have Vegeta to teach her, but her uncle would be an excellent sparring partner, now that he was motivated by his Saiya-jin nature. And this would be a common point between Bura and herself, so they could rekindle their friendship and become even closer.

Vegeta scowled, crossing his arms. "Then get to it. I don't have all day for a Super Saiya-jin party." The three youths' backs straightened and they fell into fighting formation.


	3. Episode 3

AN: Enjoy! Best Path! :)

Burn More Slowly

VEGETA WORKED HIS three new students relentlessly on the first auspicious day that he'd acquired them. By early evening they were all resting on the floor of the gravity chamber, panting furiously in an attempt to catch their breath. None had yet vocalized a complaint, for he was certain they knew better. But he could tell that they had reached their limit. Bura's stamina was not strong since she'd never cultivated her powers before, Pan was run down form achieving Super Saiya-jin only twenty four hours earlier, and Goten was lacking luster from being out of shape.

"You weaklings had better get your stamina up or you'll die in the battle field." the Prince of all Saiya-jin sneered. They were his subjects, after all, and were subject to his disdain for their excessive exhaustion. It would embarrass their ancestors to know how weak the remnants of their race was.

He left them on that note, leaving the gravity chamber to take a much needed shower. The three demi Saiya-jin looked amongst themselves. "So...does that mean we're done for the night?" Bura asked aloud. Amongst Pan, Goten, and herself, she had the least experience with her father's training habits. He didn't really dismiss them, say goodnight, or anything of the like.

Goten chuckled, rolling a pant leg up to check a swelling kneecap. "Yeah. He doesn't take much time to explain anything. Or be remotely pleasant." He recalled in full detail how harsh of a trainer Vegeta was, especially when Trunks and himself had been children. Vegtea was quite the brute and none too gentle.

"Though he's much nicer with you around. Guess he's got a soft spot for you." Pan added, smiling softly. She recalled how much gentler her own father had been handling her training then even Grandpa or Goten ever were.

Bura wiped the sweat from her brow. "Well, I'm glad I'm going to get to spend my evenings training with you guys." She grinned at her companions, nudging them with her sneakered feet.

Pan arched a brow, though she returned the foot nudge playfully. "So...what are you going to do about school?" she queried curiously. She knew Bura was quite serious about becoming the Vice President of Capsule Corporation, and even potentially one of the company's head scientists. How would the heiress apparent manage to find time for everything?

"Well, I'll do school during the days, maybe cut back on my classes a bit. But I'll have time in the evenings to train with you guys." Suddenly she felt disappointed that she be studying and/or in class all day while Pan, Goten, and her Dad got to do all the sparring they pleased. She would miss out on valuable time...time she should have spent her entire life to learn of her heritage, her people's ways, the call of violence and battle...

"I'm not going to bother with college right now. This is more important." Pan piped up suddenly, her brow furrowed in thought. She knew that training to control her powers was going to consume her entirely for the next year or so at least. School was the last thing on her mind. She was a far more competent warrior than student anyway. And it wasn't that she was stupid, she just didn't have much interest in mathematics and science when battle made so much more sense to her.

"Well Panny, you're almost eighteen, so Gohan really can't say much. Though I know he'll be disappointed." Goten informed his niece gently. And really, he knew his brother well, but he knew his niece quite well too. She wouldn't waste her time doing something that yielded no results for her. And this was what would make Pan the happiest.

"What about you, Uncle Goten? Are you going to devote most of your time to sparring too?" Pan quipped, wishing that she and her Uncle could be more like equals. Though he did have a twelve year advantage over her, she wanted to earn his respect. She recalled with a smug smirk how she had defeated him when she was a mere child at the Budokai. Perhaps she'd have to remind him of just how experienced of a warrior she was.

"Haven't got much else going on." he replied with a shrug. "Might as well devote much time to it as I can." He leaned back, his weight on his hands, and an idea occurred to him. "Hey! Maybe Trunks would like to get involved with the sparring?"

Pan blushed deep scarlet, which caught her friend and uncle's attention. How embarrassing! If Goten actually convinced Trunks to join their training sessions then she'd have to see him everyday and deal with her rejection. She was sure the lavender haired hottie wouldn't exploit her or make fun of her over it, but it still hurt nonetheless and she wasn't quite ready to face him.

"What is it Pan?" Bura blinked, wondering what had her friend in such a state. She knew Pan had a crush on Trunks, but she'd never reacted so...well, embarrassed over it.

"I...kinda became Super Saiya-jin because I admitted my feelings to Trunks and he rejected me." She was still inflamed with her embarrassment. Now everyone would know how lame she was. But, somehow, she knew that Trunks was just as lame, if not more, because he was suppressing his Saiya-jin side in favor of his human side. They weren't really compatible anymore anyway, apparently.

"I didn't realize that you loved him so deeply. It thought it was a crush that had faded with time." Goten revealed, astonished that his didn't know Pan as well as he had originally thought. He actually hadn't been very involved in his family's business since his father had left with Shenlong. So this was probably just as much of his fault. He would have advised Pan against it in the first place, so she wouldn't have had to have her heart broken in such a manner.

Pan hugged her knees to her chest. "He loves Marron. And even if he weren't with her, he views me as a little sister. It could never be." It resounded deeply of loneliness within her breast. When you were an incredible person, and there was no one to match you, what did one do?

"I'm sorry Pan. If we had been closer, if you had told me you were gong to tell Trunks..." Bura trailed off, echoing Goten's thoughts exactly. She didn't like the idea of her sometimes insensitive older brother breaking her friend's heart. Trunks had changed so much in the last few years, and even Bura found that she didn't relate with him often.

Pan shook her head. "It's okay. I needed to hear it from the horse's mouth. I can accept it now." And just as she said it, she realized she did. Trunks and her were not meant to be. Not now, not in this time and space. Marron and Trunks were involved, and they were happy. She had no place interfering.

Bura bit her lip apprehensively. Pan had mustered the courage to admit her feelings to Trunks and he had turned her down. Even if he wasn't with Marron, he saw Pan as a little sister. Bura discreetly eyed Goten up. He was only a year younger than Trunks, just as she was a year younger than Bura. Just as Trunks and Pan had a thirteen year gap between them in age, she and Goten shared that exact same gap. Would Goten only always consider her to be Trunks's annoying kid sister? She feared the worst.

"Well, would you like to spend the night, Pan? I don't want to leave you hanging when you need me the most." Bura offered softly, pushing her own fears aside. Pan's needs came first before her own silly little dramas. Their friendship was something they had both let slide and she wanted badly to rectify that.

"Actually, that would be nice. I'll let my parents know." Pan pushed herself up off the the ground, extending her hand to her friend.

Bura took it, using Pan to pull herself up. "I'll be in my room showering up. Feel free to raid the fridge." She knew full well she was painting a sensual image for Goten, but she couldn't just look pointedly at him to see if it tantalized as she hoped. Pan would notice, and would figure out she was crushing on Goten just as bad as Pan had crushed on Trunks.

Pan extended a hand to her uncle, who grinned that standard Son smile and allowed his niece to help him. "I can play slumber party too, Panny." He grunted when his niece punched him square in the chest. "Hey, come on now..." he protested weakly, for she had knocked the wind out of him a bit.

"No boys." Pan stuck her tongue out at her uncle. Sometimes he was like an annoying older brother.

"No problem." Goten raised his hands in a defensive posture. "I'm going to go check in with Trunks. We haven't caught up in a while." Plus he wanted to see exactly what was said between his friend and his niece when she was approaching him with her heart. If Trunks had been anything less than polite, he'd have to remind his friend that manners were of the utmost importance.

Pan's ebony eyes glimmered with warning. "Don't say a word about me admitting my feelings to him."

She resembled Chichi far more than she had the right to and Goten felt a chill run down his spine. "Okay, okay. I promise I won't bring it up." he spouted before evading the laser beam glare of Pan's. Honestly, everything he did for Pan was truly in her best interest. He wouldn't try to embarrass her further.

The girls eyed one another before bursting into giggles at Goten's hasty retreat. "Come on Pan, lets go have some girl time." Bura beckoned, and the girls found themselves horse playing all the way into the house and up to Bura's room.

IT HAD BEEN a few weeks since Trunks and himself had really spoken, Goten mused as he entered the corporate section of the building where Trunks's office resided. And now that Pan had illuminated that she had confessed her emotions to Goten's longtime friend, well, it was probably time for another talk. He entered the office without resistance, for all of Trunks's immediate coworkers knew that Son Goten was a close friend to their president.

Trunks was absorbed in paperwork when Goten entered the office, and so it took him a moment to look up. When he did he jumped, startled. "H-hey Goten." Trunks yanked nervously at his collar, as if the room had suddenly gotten hot.

Goten entered calmly, though the closer he got to Trunks's desk, the more nervous the C.C. President became. "Hey Trunks." he answered casually. Pan had pretty much all but threatened his life if he brought up the subject of her love-flop, so he wouldn't say a word until Trunks did. Which seemed like it could be any minute.

And sure as shit, Trunks balked. "Look, I let her down really easy. I wasn't an asshole, okay?"

Goten arched a brow, though he felt a twinge of pain in his breast. His and Trunks's relationship had deteriorated into awkward moments of defensiveness on Trunks's side and bitterness and resentment on his. "It's cool man. I wasn't coming here to beat your ass or anything. Though I can't say I'd rather you stuck with Marron." he leaned against Trunks's desk, keeping his posture relaxed. If he wasn't going to address his niece's love life, he sure as hell would address his own, or lack there of, due in part to Trunks.

The elder of the once close companions sighed softly. He and Goten had never truly resolved the Marron issue that was between them. "I know you liked Marron, but she and I have been together for seven years Goten." He leaned back in his desk chair, rubbing his eyes tiredly, as if this subject put him under great duress.

"I loved her, Trunks. A part of me still does. But I blame her more than you, man. She's the gold digger. I feel more sorry for you." Goten barely managed to keep the bitterness out of his voice. Trunks and Marron really hadn't handled their feelings well. Marron had been the least honest out of the all of them.

"Whether you blame her more than me, you still blame me." Trunks felt the pang of hurt. He hadn't handled his interest in Marron well; hadn't used his love for Goten in his heart to outweigh the lust he had for Marron in his loins. To make matters worse, Trunks had unwittingly fallen in love with Marron himself. She had been the only woman who had ever unmade him. And although he was aware she enjoyed the money that came along with being the girlfriend of Trunks Briefs, he knew she loved him as much as he loved her.

"Because you fucked her while I was dating her!" Goten snapped, his cool composure completely shattered.

"That was only once while you were still together. She had told me you two had broken up, so I thought I was in the clear. Yeah, I should have waited longer and verified that you two weren't together anymore, but I believed her. And we were young back then, Goten. We made mistakes." Trunks remained seated, his own guilt and remorse keeping him from the anger that Goten currently felt.

"...yeah. I made a mistake in trusting you both." The younger Son brother remarked, his hushed whisper barely audible even to their Saiya-jin hearing. He felt so sad, so overwhelmed. He hadn't allowed himself to get this worked up over Marron, Trunks, or their situation in a while.

"I didn't mean to hurt you like this. I didn't realize that I'd like her so much. That she and I would ever even be together. She was kind of a conquest at first, who ended up conquering me instead." He couldn't keep the wry grin off his face when he thought of the blonde bombshell who had stolen his heart.

Goten rolled his eyes. He, in no way, wanted to see Trunks get all puppy dog eyes over Marron. "So you're pussy whipped. Great. Have fun with that." He strode to Trunks's door.

Trunks scowled darkly. "You wait just a second Goten." His voice now carried a deadly tone, one Goten had heard seldom in his life. The elder of the two Saiya-jin stood, closing his office door, effectively trapping Goten into an audience with him.

"I love Marron. She and I didn't start our relationship off on the right foot, especially where you were concerned, but we never intentionally meant to hurt anyone, most of all you. I'm going to be with her for the rest of our lives, and as my once, and I still hope, best friend, I would like to see support for my happiness at the very least."

Goten sighed softly. "I'm glad you've found happiness. But I can't help but feeling that it was at my expense, and I've already had too many people inflict that upon me in my life-"

"So you're over-reacting to this, to us, because of your issues with your childhood and your dad." Trunks interrupted dryly. He and Goten were close, and he knew everything that had caused the younger, often forgotten, Son brother pain throughout his upbringing.

Goten cringed and said nothing. Trunks had struck a nerve, one that was raw to this day, one he had spent a lot of time suppressing and ignoring.

Trunks clasped his friend on the shoulder. "It's okay. You've been hurt by your dad's selfish decisions. And Marron and I were selfish too, and insensitive. I'm sorry. I don't want our friendship to dissolve over this." His tone had returned to the intimate, safe one that they had confided to one another in as young boys. They had been two halves of the same whole, inseparable, when they were young. But somehow they had grown apart, and it perturbed them both more deeply than they ever admitted aloud.

Goten covered his face with his hands. He was crying, and he felt like an ass. This was fucking awful. It sucked to be standoffish with your best friend for more than half a decade. It was unbearable holding onto the same pain, the unending grudge. It was lonely, and pointless, and...it just all over sucked. He heaved great, heavy sobs as his emotional barriers dissolved.

Trunks retrieved the box of tissues from his desk and handed one to the crying, hurt child who resided in the body of his grown friend. "Are you okay?" He was concerned. He hadn't seen Goten break down like this since they were teenagers. Even when Goku had left for good with Shenlong Goten hadn't shed a tear. Or if he had, he had done it in privacy and had revealed it to no one, not even Trunks.

Goten leaned against the wall, slumping to the floor, his knees weak. Trunks crouched beside him, handing the sobbing demi Saiya-jin a fistful of tissues. "You're right. I'm over-reacting because of my dad. I should have let this shit over Marron go years ago." he babbled between each hitch of his breath.

Trunks's features softened. "It's cool. So long as we know not all of these hurt feelings are because of Marron and me." He watched Goten wipe at his tears, sobs racking his body that were slowly calming.

"I guess I just took it harder then I should have. I just...I dated her when we were young, and being with her made the hurt of my family's fucked up problems lessen, and when she and I made love...it was like a healing balm, you know?" he blushed slightly. He had never really talked about the intimate things he'd experienced with Marron.

"No other chick ever affected me the way she has." Trunks agreed. Marron also helped to heal the hurt he felt regarding his own issues with his father. Vegeta and him were often at odds, especially in his late teens and now his adult years.

Goten's brows furrowed thoughtfully. Something regarding Marron's sexuality had always niggled at him, something didn't sit quite right. "What do you think made her so...sexually intense?" Because she was. Even when he and Marron had been teenagers, she had more experience then he had, more confidence. Where had she gotten that? He'd never thought to ask at the time, but he'd been twenty. Now he was thirty, and such questions were occurring to him.

Trunks winced, and Goten knew that this question had struck a nerve. "I...well, maybe it's for her to tell..." he trailed off uncertainly.

Goten blinked. "What? What is it?" He felt hot suddenly, like what Trunks knew would unlock some of the mysteries the wrapped around the situation they now found themselves in.

Trunks's fists clenched, his knuckles bleaching white. "She's been sexually abused. Roshi. When she was a teen. She never told a soul, other than me." he managed softly.

Goten felt the blow as if the wind had been knocked out of him. His vision swam. "I would have protected her, had she told me." he whispered, his heart burning. This explained so much...

"She had actually forgotten about it...she suppressed the memories, the incidences. But she always felt off, didn't know why. It was starting to hurt our relationship. She would have huge emotional hits, would get triggered by certain things. We went to a therapist who helped her uncover the memory, and it helped both of us make sense of the whole situation." The Saiya-jin Prince narrated quietly.

"So did you-"

"I went to the Kame House, beat him within an inch of his life, and left. She didn't want to press charges, so I didn't tell her that I went and did that." Trunks admitted. It wasn't the smartest thing he had done, and if he had gotten press coverage over his actions it would have been even worse, but Roshi knew better and never said a word. So, despite the functional counseling that Marron had gotten, the whole situation wasn't being handled functionally. It wasn't the best of all possible outcomes, that was for certain.

Goten smiled softly. "Thanks for helping her where I couldn't have." Whether his feelings were hurt or not, he still felt sympathy towards Marron and her circumstances. Had he known that she had been sexually abused and was struggling with her own mental health over it, he wouldn't have been so wrapped up in his own issues. He'd been rather self centered as a teen, especially when his father had been training Uub in the wilderness. Marron probably had chosen Trunks because he listened to her more, noticed more, had the resources available to help her.

"She wasn't really gold digging when we got together. I just didn't want to deal with my own problems, and helping Marron with hers was a great way to distract from that. She didn't want me to spend money on her, but she was struggling to cope with the post traumatic stress from her abuse, and was having trouble functioning in society. So I asked her to move in with me, told her I'd take care of her, and offered her support with her issues." Trunks confided cautiously.

Goten remained silent, absorbing everything his friend was telling him. It was a lot to take in, and he realized that it hadn't been easy for either of his friends to cope with their problems in their adult life.

"But once she went to the therapist, and I came along, we kinda unearthed a lot of my anger issues regarding me and my dad. I don't fly off the handle about stuff like I used to. It was a lot of misplaced aggression because an alien dad cannot behave human, no matter how much you want him to." Trunks lips quirked, though it wasn't from a true smile.

Goten laughed weakly. "I hear that. As human as my dad was about certain things, he was certainly alien about others." Trunks and himself were such good friends partly because they had so much in common. It was hard to be half alien on a planet were the indigenous were so judgmental over anything remotely abnormal to their culture.

"He loved you, you know. Just...he loved the rest of the world just as much. Its easy to feel unimportant when your dad is so important. And your dad...certain things just didn't occur to him. I suspect his brain injury had a lot to do with that." Trunks replied thoughtfully.

A new wave of tears glistened down Goten's face. "I never thought of it like that." he mourned aloud. As ignorant as his father had been, he'd been ignorant too. He just hadn't seen it until now.

"I never thought of my own father like that either, but when we step back from the fathers they were and look at the men they were and are instead, well...they had problems too." To say that Vegeta had problems was an understatement. There were many thing Trunks didn't know about his father, but he knew that his father had endured so much more pain and suffering than he himself had, and so he was able to put his own problems into perspective when he was objective in that manner.

Goten took deep cleansing breaths, drying the last of his tears. "Thanks for letting Pan down easy, by the way." Trunks wouldn't be cruel or vindictive, especially not to Pan. They were friends too, after all.

Trunks clapped his hand on Goten's shoulder. "I love her like a sister. I would never barb her when she was vulnerable like that. And she's becoming a beautiful woman. Some lucky dude is going to snatch Panny up." He spoke the truth. Pan was beautiful. But he loved Marron. It was what it was.

Goten laughed. "Poor guy. I hope he's at least as powerful as she is. And now she's a Super Saiya-jin..."

Trunks started. "She ascended? Wow! That's great!" His enthusiasm was not forced. He knew that Pan had wanted to become a Super Saiya-jin and live up to her grandfather's heritage. She was probably stoked.

Goten nodded. "Yeah. It kind of inspired me to ask your dad to train me, and apparently Bura wanted to too, so I'm going to be teaching her the basics in exchange for your dad being my trainer." He was excited at the opportunity to train again and didn't hide the fact from his longtime companion.

Trunks whistled. "Wow. Never thought you guys would form the next generation of the Z Squad." He was impressed actually. He was well aware that Earth didn't have many people left in its line of defense. When Goku had left with Shenlong and the dragon balls, Earth became extremely vulnerable. The former Z Warriors were all aging now, and most had been some sort of human and no where near strong enough to defend from the recent enemies that appeared. If not for the Saiya-jin strength, Chikyuu would have been doomed decades ago.

And Vegeta was a rogue warrior, and no one could be one hundred percent certain that he would step up to bat for Chikyuu, especially if Bulma wasn't around to put her foot up his ass to do so. And Gohan seemed to prefer a more human life, like Trunks himself preferred. So neither one of them would be whole heartedly up to the task of Earth's defense either. Pan and Bura didn't really have the experience, and they still had no idea where Uub went off to after Goku had disappeared.

But if Vegeta was training Goten, Pan, and Bura...well, things were starting to look promising. And it eased Trunks's conscience some, to know that he could perhaps be permitted a normal life that he desired. That he wouldn't have to defend Earth if need be.

"Me neither. But this...it's something I need to do. You know? I need to step up." Goten answered truthfully. He didn't really know what possessed him either, but his Saiya-jin blood was calling to him, beckoning him to take action where he previously had been too human and lazy to do so.

Trunks nodded with approval. "Cool man."

Things felt okay. Better than okay. They pulled one another up off of the ground, their hands grasped firmly in a pseudo handshake. "So I take it you're not down to train?" Goten queried belatedly.

The C.E.O. shook his head. "I like being the president of Capsule Corporation. The cut throat business appeals to me. I'm more human than Saiya-jin, I guess. The battle...it's not something I want anymore. The whole Dragon ball fiasco kinda got me fed up with all of it. And I'm happy with Marron. I want to marry her, settle down, do the happy ever after thing..." he caught himself in his babble, glancing nervously at his friend whom he had only just rekindled his communication with.

Goten waved a hand dismissively. "It's okay. I need to face facts eventually, right? And if you guys want to get married, then do it. As long as you make each other happy and treat each other right." It killed him to say it, but he did. And eventually, it would be true. If his two longtime companions were happy, then somehow maybe he could be happy for them. It would just take time.

"Don't be a stranger." Trunks finally said. His features had softened, and he regarded his friend with a myriad of emotions in his eyes.

"I won't." Goten promised. He gave Trunks a quick hug goodbye before retreating from the office. It was probably best to head home now. He had a lot of thinking to do. Pondering over his past; the hurts regarding Trunks, Marron, and himself. Handling his present; which involved a hot salt bath and sleep before the next day's rigorous training regimen. And, his future, which he did not know entailed yet and thus he must contemplate it carefully.

Trunks sat at his desk for several moments after Goten left. Goten's arrival, and their conversation, had been both unusual and strangely uplifting. They had put a lot out on the table, and hopefully hurt feelings could now be resolved. He had never meant for his relationship with the youngest Son to deteriorate to this point. He was glad for this unexpected intervention. Who knew that Pan's actions would initiate this type of closure with Goten?

With a small smile, Trunks Briefs returned to his work.


	4. Episode 4

AN: Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. Please read, review, and enjoy the following. Best Path. :)

Burn More Slowly

"DO YOU STILL have a crush on Uncle Goten?" Pan asked abruptly, after she and Bura had both showered, raided the fridge downstairs, and returned to the sanctuary of Bura's bedroom. She sat, lotus style, on Bura's plush bed, facing her lounging friend, combing through her still wet sable hair.

Bura, having been completely content with the vague direction the conversation she and Pan were sharing not seconds ago, felt her nerves flutter. The Saiya-jin Princess shifted her weight onto her elbow, feeling the flush in her cheeks, but kept her features still. Even if she denied it, Pan would call her out on her bluff, so there wasn't any use in denying it. "Yeah. I still do." she admitted quietly.

Pan sighed softly, continuing the methodical combing of her hair. It had gotten so long in the last few years, but she liked it. It was one of her more feminine features, a beauty that she possessed. "Are you going to tell him?" To her knowledge, her uncle didn't have any girlfriend at the moment. At least Bura had some sort of chance with the older demi Saiya-jin than she'd ever had with Trunks. He'd been with Marron long enough for her to know that Trunks would 'pop the question' any time now.

The bluenette rolled onto her stomach, sighing heavily. "I don't know. I hadn't planned on it. I was so focused on school before, and I hadn't given my feelings much thought, but now that he's going to be training me..." she trailed off uncertainly, for she hadn't yet considered how seeing Goten everyday would affect her feelings. And his. Would Goten disregard her as a child and not bother considering her as a love interest? Or would the younger Son brother come to like her as well?

"Well, now you have a chance to get to know him. And he'll be getting to know you." Pan's voice even smiled, for she knew that her best friend would have quite the opportunity to win her uncle's heart now that they would be training together almost daily. She cast her comb aside and stretched out on the bed beside her companion.

Bura chewed on her lip nervously, and regarded her friend with an arched brow. "You're right. But do you think he'd ever see me as more than his best friend's little sister?" The thought still plagued her. And she also wondered if she could even keep her cool around Goten. They'd be in close contact, and he certainly would be touching her to instruct her on maneuvers. That was a whole other issue to contend with.

"My feelings for Trunks never came to anything, but you and Goten still have a chance." the quarter Saiya-jin whispered intensely, the tears stinging at her eyes. It still hurt, damn it. She still loved Trunks, though the love had changed, had become bittersweet now instead.

Bura's features twisted into a sympathetic gaze and she pulled her friend into an embrace. "Oh, Pan, you're beautiful and there's going to be a great guy that's just going to fall head over heels for you." she gushed tearfully, petting Pan's long sable locks like one would a beloved dog.

Pan smiled, enjoying the reassurance from her best friend, knowing that Bura was trying to get a laugh out of her. "You're right. But he has to be just as strong as me. Or he's not worthy." It was a good resolution. Any man that wanted her heart would have to fight her for it. Literally. If he was strong enough, then he could have her.

Bura giggled. "Like a 'Pan Son Love Tournament'?" she rolled onto her back to stare at her ceiling, still considering Pan's words about Goten. That she and him would get to know each other, and that they had a chance. If she could become strong, would Goten respect her? Admire her? See her for the woman that she was becoming?

Pan scoffed. "I can't even find one guy strong enough. Let alone enough to hold a tournament." Her options seemed rather slim. But there were humans; like Yamucha, Krillen, and Tienshinhan; who had proved how strong they could become with diligent training. She wasn't necessarily attracted to them, and they were far older than her, but perhaps an attractive, young male with a reasonable power level...

Being a quarter Saiya-jin herself, her power had exceeded that of any human who'd ever fought with the Z Squad. And now that she was Super Saiya-jin, she had sensed that her power had more than doubled itself. Would any human ever truly be of her caliber? Perhaps a rogue Saiya-jin warrior who survived the destruction of Vegeta-sei would turn up? Or that Trunks who had come from the future turned up again and fell madly in love with her? Her options seemed pretty bleak, actually.

"Pan, ask the universe for your equal and opposite and it will answer you." Bura advised, a twinkle in her eyes. Never had she thought she'd have the opportunity to see Goten everyday and spend time with him. But by her changing herself and making the decision to train she had made it possible for herself. For them. And now that Pan was a Super Saiya-jin, she could make new potentials happen that had never existed before. They both were embarking on a new journey, a new unknown. It was exciting.

Pan took her friend's words in. "Like the Law of Attraction?" she asked.

Bura nodded. "Kinda like that. I've thought about Goten everyday since I was a little girl, but I was never the girl that could win his heart. But I will become the woman that can. Mark my words." The determination that gleamed in her eyes was a terrifying combination of both Bulma and Vegeta.

Kami help any soul who strove against her, Pan thought as a chill ran down her spine. "Uncle Goten is becoming different too. He used to be so lazy, but now he's taking initiative. He's going to change into a better man, one worthy of your affections." She knew her uncle well, and he had been an irresponsible punk over the last decade. It seemed as though Goten had been depressed and lackluster ever since Goku had left their family to train Uub. Not that she could blame him, she'd been just as torn up over her grandfather's decisions.

Bura blinked. "He is worthy of my affections." she protested.

Pan frowned. "No, he's not. Or at least he wasn't. He never has held on to a job, he goes through girlfriends like a bag of potato chips, and he's never moved out of Grandma's house." Bura opened her mouth to disagree, but Pan raised a hand to stop her. "I know he's been like this because Grandpa really screwed up when it came to the family, and it really hurt Goten. But he was throwing his future away over it. And now he's either going to change or he isn't. He's doing well right now with training, but if he doesn't keep up with his promise of teaching you, then he's not worthy of you."

Bura took in the assessment stated by Goten's niece. Pan was right though. The Goten she was in love with was the cheerful, happy go lucky teenager she'd known when she was a little girl. But when Goku abandoned his family to train Uub, Goten had changed. And she hadn't gotten to know the man he became then. And the man he was today was someone new who everyone would have to get to know. But would he continue with his aspirations? Or give up?

Bura even knew that everyone was doubting her. She'd never showed an interest in training before, and now that Pan had become Super Saiya-jin, she really wanted to as well. Everyone in their close circle of family and friends all probably assumed she'd give up in less than a week. That she'd claim it was too hard, or she was too tired, or that it was all too much. But no, she wouldn't give up. Even if she couldn't win Goten's heart, she'd still become a Super Saiya-jin.

"So he and I will both become new people together..." she trailed off thoughtfully.

"And you two can fall in love along the way. Let it unfold slowly. Anything rushed ruins it. You need to savor it." Pan answered, sighing softly. She wished that she and Trunks could have done that. But she was only just now barely old enough to date him, and he'd fallen in love with Marron before Pan was ever woman enough to challenge her opponent for Trunks's heart.

Bura tugged on a long strand of Pan's hair. It was almost to the middle of her back. "I just thought of something." she announced. Pan arched a brow in response and Bura continued; "What about Uub?"

Pan blinked. She hadn't really thought of Uub in quite some time. "What about him?" She almost felt suspicious of what the demi Saiya-jin female was getting at.

Bura rolled her eyes. "Pan-chan, I'm serious! Have you seen him since your grandfather left?" She felt a pang of remorse for even mentioning anything when Pan flinched. But she needed to know what had become of him, because if he was around...

"No, we never knew where Uub's village was, and he went back there after Grandpa...left. He's been trained to conceal his power level, and we've never found him since...I guess he's just waiting until trouble appears, since Grandpa wanted Uub to be the protector of Earth in case anything happened to him." Pan's brows furrowed as she considered the Majin. He'd been extremely strong and had a lot of potential. Uub had also been extremely helpful when all of the shit had hit the fan a few years ago. He'd even saved her life...

"All of that aside, do you think he's cute?" Bura pressed, her ultramarine gaze fixed on Pan.

Pan felt her face flush from Bura's scrutiny. She'd been fifteen and Uub had been twenty when he'd saved her. She was still a girl, but he'd been a full blown man with rippling muscles. And though she'd crushed badly on Trunks, she could still see how attractive the reincarnated Majin was.

"I knew it! You think he's cute!" Bura accused.

Pan shoved her friend right off of the bed. How could Bura even say this when Trunks had just rejected her? "Like you don't?" she cried as she peered down at her companion. It was better to peg Bura with the same accusation then face it herself.

Bura, disgruntled, picked herself up of the floor. Thank goodness she had carpeting! "Well, he's definitely cute, but I like Goten so much that I don't think of Uub like that. Besides, he might fall for his mentor's granddaughter, you never know." She rubbed her tender bottom, she was already sore form the day's training, and horsing around wasn't helping. "Geez Pan, I know you think Uub is a hottie, but you don't have to beat me up for it."

Pan growled and jumped off the bed and onto her friend. They collapsed into a heap on the floor, wrestling and rolling around. "I still like Trunks, Bura! Shut up!" she shrieked. They knocked into the furniture in the room as they mock-sparred, and though it was noisy, nothing was getting damaged.

But their little brawl was interrupted by Bulma, as she opened their door. "What are you girls doing?" she demanded, hands on hips, a disapproving scowl on her still lovely face. Both of the Saiya-jin teens glanced at one another sheepishly and separated. They were being quite childish, after all.

"Sorry Mom, we were getting a bit out of hand." Bura apologized sincerely, head bowed. She loved and respected her mother, and her interruption was probably for the best. Pan would never admit that anyone but Trunks was the man for her, and no amount of convincing from Bura was going to change Pan's opinion.

Bulma's features relaxed, and she smiled. "Did you two enjoy training today?" She was genuinely interested in the girls' progress. Bulma had been around Saiya-jin since her teenage years, since Son Goku was a young boy. And now her own daughter and his granddaughter were not only best friends, but picking up where she and Goku had left off. They weren't really needed anymore to defend Chikyuu from unforeseen enemies.

Bura not only possessed her intelligence, but Vegeta's strength. No matter what obstacles presented themselves, Bura could either build or fight her way out of it, Bulma was certain. And now that Pan had become Super Saiya-jin, she would be strong enough to defeat almost any threat. And now that Goten seemed to be stepping up, Earth's chances for continued survival were high. Bulma felt at peace knowing this.

Pan nodded in response and Bura came to her mother's side. "We did, Mom, but I wanted to assure you I won't slack off when it comes to my studies-"

Bulma rubbed her daughter's arm affectionately. "Sweetie, this is something new for you, and it's good. I already know you're a genius and Trunks has got Capsule Corp covered. You can discover a new path for yourself, carve your own name out for yourself. You don't need to worry about disappointing me."

Bura blinked back the sudden tears that stung at her eyes. She had planned on becoming the future vice president of Capsule Corp. and she knew that she was undoubtedly smart enough to do it. She even had her mother's knack for inventing and creating. But her mother was right, Bura Briefs had to create her own empire, if only in name. "I don't know what I want to do yet, I just know I'm heading in the right direction to find that out." she replied softly.

Bulma pressed a kiss to her child's forehead. Bura wasn't a little girl anymore, she was seventeen, with great aspirations. It was a sweet ache. "My father always valued knowledge above anything else. And I sought after wisdom as a girl, and found it in many ways. I would never want to curb your beautiful mind."

Bura hugged her mother. "Thanks." she murmured, feeling overwhelmed suddenly. Bulma gestured for Pan to join them, which she did with mock reluctance. Bulma was like a second mother to her, and hugs were always welcomed.

Pan grinned herself as an idea occurred to her. "Bulma-san, we're Earth's new backup plan."

"I feel relieved." the older woman answered. And it was true, she did. Chikyuu still had warriors around to protect it. All was well.

THE SAIYA-JIN PRINCE typically rose early in the mornings, for his internal clock had the habit of waking him between four and five routinely. He seldom deviated from his routine, for he had become somewhat of a creature of habit in his years spent on Chikyuu. Change, however, always occurred at one point or another, and it seemed that now, after over thirty years of dedication to his art, change was apparent in the manner of his routine.

No longer was he subject to countless hours of solitary training, but now spent his days disciplining three young adults who were far too old to lack aforementioned discipline. They constantly frustrated him, though he'd never been a patient man. Pan was stubborn, Goten was sometimes more simple minded than Vegeta cared for, and sometimes Bura got dangerously close to whining. But they all remained, no matter how loud he yelled, how stinging his insults became, or how tough the actually training was.

He had to give them that. None of these demi Saiya-jin ever gave up. He chuckled inwardly as they proved their worth over and again. Vegeta's people had been extremely prejudiced when it came to their race becoming diluted with half breeds. He would have had to put Trunks and Bura down if his people and culture still existed. The Saiya-jin race had considered half breed's to be half bloods. Weaker, an embarrassment, a disgrace.

But somehow, each of the demi Saiya-jin he'd come to know in his life each were a wonderful blend of their father's and mother's people. Their power levels increased substantially with every injury they recovered from, and they each possessed twice the spirit any full blooded Saiya-jin he'd ever met had. They were a new race of Saiya-jin in their own right, powerful beyond comprehension, yet compassionate, intelligent, and good people. Better than Vegeta himself could have ever deigned to be. But he was glad nonetheless.

And so he found himself enjoying his new life, the chance that had presented itself. And by the light in his students' eyes, he could see that they too, were enjoying the thrill of relentless training as much as he. The progeny of Kakarrot both seemed to relish the call of battle that sang through their veins. And his daughter...never had Vegeta imagined that Bura would turn to him, wanting tutelage in the art of war.

Speaking of his daughter... "Bura, you lazy girl, pick it up!" he shouted at his daughter. He had the three goons, as he'd taken to calling them, continuously flying through the gravity room at speeds faster than the optical nerves could send a message to the brain. They had been going at this practice for over two hours now, since he'd wanted them to be prepared to endure such conditions should an enemy ever show up for a 'marathon battle'. His daughter was the first to become fatigued, and he was half considering shooting her from flight the next time she slowed up.

Goten appeared for a moment, and Vegeta shot without thinking. The boy barely dodged the blast, and went back into motion. "Sorry Vegeta!" he cried, panicked.

"Don't allow anyone to distract you!" the Saiya-jin Prince snarled. "If there is a battle and Bura died, you'd need to keep your wits about you!" His own statement twinged a knot of dread in his breast at the thought of his daughter being thrust into battle. Of...dying. He'd never before had to face the idea of his daughter marching into battle.

"Yes Sir!" the second son of Goku replied, continuing to fly in the tight circle formation that the three student had carefully constructed.

Vegeta sighed softly. Goten was strong, but he was soft like his father and brother had been. If an enemy appeared, the youngest Son boy was just as likely to relinquish the advantage if the enemy appeared to be turning over a new leaf. He'd have to stamp it out of the boy himself, since he'd never been able to with Kakarrot or the other brat.

His daughter flickered into sight again and he did not hesitate. Regardless of sharing a genetic code, he couldn't be more lenient with Bura than the other two. It was not just. He fired, she attempted a dodge, but he'd predicted her plan of escape, and the ki blast nailed her dead on. She dropped to the ground, clothing singed, and skin burned. His other students wisely continued their regimen.

The Saiya-jin Prince approached his daughter, standing above her as she struggled to rise. Cruelty had been his teacher, and though he would not be cruel, he would be tough. Vegeta raised his foot, and brought it down on Bura's back. She cried out in pain, and struggled beneath him. "Never let your enemy shot you from the sky. You have the advantage when you are aerial."

"Yes Sensei." she whimpered, for the heel of his boot was digging into the scar that remained from the amputation of her tail.

He removed his foot. "Get back into formation." he ordered.

She obeyed, blinking back tears. Never before had her father been so rough with her; so harsh, cold, and unfeeling. She knew it was a far cry from the vicious mercenary warrior he'd been in his youth, but it still hurt her feelings somewhat. He'd actually made her burst into tears the other day, and then had told her to leave, which she'd had to, but then something unexpected, and somewhat good, had happened afterward...

_She walked away from the gravity room with a heavy heart, knowing full well that she'd failed miserably, and had also allowed herself to become provoked by her father's words. Tears streamed down her flushed face, and she wondered if perhaps she'd be better off in the lab than in the gravity room like her father had said. She sobbed audibly as she walked, until she thought she heard her name and turned. In her blurred vision, she only saw the obnoxious orange of Goten's gi. _

"_Bura! Wait!" he approached her, and she wiped at her tears, already embarrassed enough that Goten had witnessed the tongue lashing she'd received. But then again, her father had also said less than kind things to Goten as well, though they hadn't seemed to sting his ego as bad as it had hers. "Are you okay?" he asked, eyes wide with concern._

_She sniffled pitifully, feeling more stupid by the second. "Yeah. I'm okay. My pride's just wounded." she remarked, her tone tinged with bitterness. She had known that becoming Super Saiya-jin would be difficult, but she hadn't known exactly how hard it would be. It was hard. Really hard. For once, she was tackling a task that she wasn't inherently good at. _

_Goten gave a weak smile. "He used to be a lot more coarse and abrasive when Trunks and I were kids." he said ruefully. Those lessons still stung him, decades later. He was thirty and still had nightmares about Vegeta's questionable training practices. Vegeta was much gentler now in his older age, and where Bura was concerned. _

_Bura blinked. "I can only imagine. Everyone says Daddy was a lot more mean before I was born." Throughout her life many people had made many comments about the man her father used to be, and how much he had changed since she'd been born. She didn't know what it was that she did to calm her father's temper, but to her, he was a strong noble Prince that stayed true to his own heart, everyone else be damned. _

_But he had been a bad man in the past, had been responsible for the deaths of many planets and peoples. It had taken him decades to change to the good man he now was. And even though her father was now a good man, he wasn't a particularly nice one. Which was why she was in tears now. _

_Goten clapped her on the shoulder. "You can come back if you're willing to try again." _

_She looked into his deep, near obsidian eyes. They were so caring and warm. He genuinely wanted her to return. "Can I ask you something?" she blurted before thinking. He looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear her question. She felt the pressure, but knew there was no backtracking now. "Am I in the way? You and Pan are so much more experienced than me-"_

_He shook his head as she spoke and opened his mouth to interrupt. "Don't say that. You're extremely powerful, you just lack basic experience. And I don't mind teaching it to you, I really don't." His hands rested on her small shoulders, and he regarded her seriously. "I'm enjoying the entire process, because I'm learning a lot too. Because I like Pan, and your Dad, tough as he is. And I like you. So please, come back and train with us. And as your tutor I can tell you're nowhere near done for the day." _

_His smile was intoxicating, and he was just so handsome. And though he hadn't meant anything in a romantic nature, it was still nice to hear that he liked her and liked teaching her. She couldn't help but nod and wipe away the last of her tears. "Thanks Goten."_

_He grinned, draping an arm lazily over her shoulders, and her heart pounded. "No problem Bura, but now you'll have to do an extra two hundred push ups." he was teasing with his voice, but she knew he meant what he said. _

"_I guess I'll have to." she agreed, walking back to the gravity room with the crush of her lifetime's arm still draped over her companionably. This was heaven, or as close as she could currently get to it. _

From that day on, Bura hadn't allowed herself to cry. She wouldn't. Not when Goten illuminated how much worse her father had been as a teacher. And so, despite his harsh training methods, she didn't break formation again that day, no matter how fatigued she got. Though she did sleep well that night.

TRUNKS BREIFS NERVOUSLY adjusted his tie as he studied his reflection in the full length mirror which hung on his office door. He looked good enough, as good as he ever got, at least. But somehow, he wished he felt more put together. Or at least wished he didn't feel this nervous. He pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket and opened it, smiling when the two carat diamond winked back at him.

A knock resounded on his office door and he frantically stuffed the jewelry box back into his pocket and turned as his longtime girlfriend opened the door. He smiled, though he knew he was still obviously nervous. "Hi Trunks!" Marron beamed, entering the office. "Thought I'd pick you up for our dinner date."

He swallowed and strode to his girlfriend's side. He hadn't seen her since this morning when he'd casually informed her of their dinner plans. She had eagerly agreed, and apparently was looking forward to their date so much that she was circumventing his plans. But that was okay, as long as the rest of the night went well.

He touched her cheek, taking note of how demure she looked in her black cocktail dress. Their dinner reservations were for a formal restaurant, and she always looked so hot when she got decked out. He was tempted to pull her on the desk for a quickie, which would certainly calm him when it came time to pop the question, but they were on a time constraint because of the reservation.

She studied him, saw how sweaty and nervous he was, and she frowned softly. "Honey, are you alright? You don't look so great, do you want to cancel dinner pl-"

"No!" he protested, knowing that he'd lose his nerve if she managed to delay this proposal. She didn't appear to be any the wiser to his plan, and he was glad that for once she was clueless. Marron was incredibly intelligent, and though she'd suffered from her abuse at Roshi's hands, in the last few years she'd enrolled at university and was pursuing a science degree. He hoped that perhaps she'd become a scientist for Capsule Corp, but he was biased.

She sighed. "Okay...let's get going then." She turned and left the office, and he followed her. They walked through the maze of Capsule Corporation, and when they got outside, he took note of how pretty she was in the last light of the early evening. Almost ethereal.

They had been dating now for almost seven years, since she was nineteen and he was twenty four. They were kids then, really, and since then had gone through so much together. After the counseling, after Marron resolved a majority her afflicted emotions, and he had resolved his, they were even more solid. He knew that this decision was the right one, knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. That they could make it work.

"What's going on in the gravity room?" her voice broke through his contemplation, and he turned to look, though he already knew the answer. The gravity room was definitely active now that four Saiya-jin sparred inside it everyday. Explosions could be heard through the thick metal hull, and flashes were seen through the small windows.

"Oh...I completely forgot to tell you!" Trunks exclaimed, slapping himself in the forehead. In the past week, he'd been so consumed in planning to propose to Marron that he'd completely forgotten to tell her that Pan had become Super Saiya-jin and that now Goten and Bura were also part of the new battle regimen. He filled her in and she absorbed the information.

After several moments, she finally spoke. "I guess someone has to pick up where Son Goku left off, huh?"

Trunks was struck by the sentiment and thought about the hero who had left them all. It had been only three years, yet so much had changed. The only constant was change, really. The world hadn't ceased after Son Goku had left. But who was left to protect Earth? Before Goten, Pan, and Bura had stepped up there had only been Vegeta and Son-kun's student Uub. But his father was temperamental, and no one had seen Uub for three years either.

Goten, Trunks definitely believed in him. Pan too, especially now that she had attained Super Saiya-jin. And Bura had potential too. Earth did seem to have a new Z Squad in training.

"Are you going to train with them?" Marron's tone was controlled and clipped, and he knew that she was frightened. Terrified that he, too, would begin training, putting himself in harm's way. They both knew all too well that death was permanent now, there were no second chances. That if he did fight and he died, they'd be separated forever.

"No." He cut her off, not stern, but completely certain of his path, of where he was needed. "I'm not going to train with them. Capsule Corp is...no. _You_ are my focus, my future." He needed her to know, needed to show her where his loyalties lay.

She looked relieved, the love for him glimmering in her luminous eyes. "Our future, together." she murmured gently, taking his hand, initiating loving contact..

He squeezed her small hand comfortingly. "Let's go. Our future is waiting." She looked puzzled, but he coaxed her along. She'd know his secret all too soon, and he kind of liked this small suspense.


	5. Episode 5

AN: I have been tinkering with the scenes for quite some time, over the last few weeks, hence the quick update. All my drabbles ended up becoming two chapters. Plus I already have 3,400 words for the next chapter...so much updates ahead, quickly. Thank you so much. Please enjoy! Best Path! :)

Burn More Slowly

THE PHONE RANG early the next morning, and Pan Son scowled blearily. Who the hell would call her this early in the morning? She grabbed the insistent phone, picking it up and answering without opening her eyes. "Yeah?" Her greeting was more rude than was probably acceptable, but whatever jerk was calling her this early on the phone probably deserved it.

"Hey Pan. It's Trunks." Her eyes shot open.

She briefly considered hanging up, but that was hardly the mature option. But she felt her skin crawl, for she hadn't truly seen him or talked to him since her love confession. She felt vulnerable, scared, unsure,and so twisted up. "Hey Trunks." she replied calmly. She assumed a warrior's persona, for that was how she would make it through this excruciating call. She hoped.

"Listen, I just wanted to talk to you. About what happened, and about something else." His voice was still sweet symphony to her ears, as much as she wished it wasn't. And despite her unexpected dropped L-bomb, they had been friends prior. They had been able to talk. They had gotten close throughout the galactic Dragonball hunt, had become friends instead of the caretaker/child role they'd assumed before.

"Okay, shoot." she said evenly. Whatever he said, she could take. She was stronger than this feeling she had for him. Her own willpower was more than any love for any man ever could be. She prided herself on this.

"First, I want to apologize about what happened. I'm sorry I never realized your feelings, and I never wanted to hurt you." He was sincere, he was a genuinely good man. One of the reasons why she loved him so much.

"It's okay. I hid it too well, I guess. And I was a little girl anyway. And you're with Marron." She felt better just acknowledging the truth. It'd get her further than any little girl's fantasy would. "So, what was the other thing you wanted to talk about?" Pan wondered if maybe they could be friends again, despite her embarrassing moment. Trunks wasn't making fun of her, or using it to barb her. The more adult she was about this, the better it would turn out.

Trunks was silent on the other end. "I swear I'm not doing this to spite you, or anything like that. I have been planning this for several months, and the timing was just kind of unfolding this way..." he trailed off, his voice cautious, guarded.

Pan felt her heart drop, but didn't speak, waiting to hear what she knew was coming next.

"Last night, I proposed to Marron. She accepted. I wanted to tell you first, so..." he paused again, not knowing what else to say. What could he say? The daughter of his good friend, who had grown up to become a friend to him also, had told him of her feelings for her, while he'd been with the same woman for quite some time. What else was he supposed to do? How else could he better handle this than just being honest?

Pan bit his lip so hard it bled. But she didn't make one noise. Tears blurred her vision, and trailed down her face, and she knew her heart was breaking more now. Because it was real. Trunks had only been Marron's boyfriend before. He was her fiancee now, which meant he'd be her husband as soon as they decided on a wedding date. And she would never, ever truly have a chance. The small hope that had still remained snuffed out like a meager candle flame.

"Pan? Are you there? Please say something." he pleaded with her gently, and she knew that this couldn't be easy for him either.

"I'm still here." she said softly, though her voice was hoarse.

"Are you okay?" She considered his question. It was almost stupid. Of course she wasn't okay! She'd never be okay! But it would be childish to scream that at him. She was going to be eighteen soon, a woman in their society. She had to behave as such, though she was dying inside. "Thanks for telling me so that I wouldn't hear it from someone else. That could have been a little embarrassing."

She could tell he was relieved. "I just wanted to...well, Panny, I care about you. We've become friends over the last few years, and I don't want to hurt you." This entire situation was putting too much pressure on the both of them, she realized.

"I understand. Thanks for calling to let me know. I assume your Mom is going to send invitations for the engagement party?" It was becoming an act, to pretend to be a composed woman, instead of the small, insignificant child she felt like. How long could she keep her calm? A new challenge for her to undertake, it seemed.

"Yeah. She's pretty excited."

Pan grinned despite herself. She knew Bulma would be thrilled about the news, as she had been complaining about lacking grandchildren since Trunks had begun dating Marron. Bulma had been quite happy about her son's relationship with her good friend's daughter. Many of the comments revolved around how beautiful the offspring of Trunks and Marron would be. Pan couldn't blame the woman for wanting to see her son settled down. "Okay. I'll RSVP when I get the invitation." she answered sweetly.

"Thanks Pan. For everything. You're great." he replied earnestly.

She knew he meant it. That he did care about her. That they were friends, and fellow warriors, though it seemed he was settling down into a more quieter life than she could ever conceive of. "See you later, Trunks." she said, hanging up the phone with a polite click.

And the dam of emotion broke.

"JUST WHERE THE fuck is she?" Vegeta snarled, pacing the floor length of the gravity room. Goten winced at his teacher's tone, but said nothing. They'd all barely been training together for a week, and already Bura had a tearful breakdown and now today Pan was way late. He wondered what sort of scenario would occur where he would fuck up. He hoped he didn't but knew it was inevitable. "Fucking brat, petitioning me to train her for three years, and now that I have relented, she has spit in my face!"

The Saiya-jin Prince's temper shook the whole gravity room, and Goten thought it best to do some damage control. "Hey, Vegeta-sama," he knew the added respect would calm his sensei, "I can go get her, if you want. Drag her to the lesson you need to teach her." And he'd warn Pan of the world of hurt that was coming her way, at the very least.

"Then go get her, simpleton. And if you're not back within the hour, you can both forget about me training either of you!" Goten winced, but another voice broke through the tension of the gravity chamber.

"I'm here, ready to fight." Pan stood in the doorway, her arms crossed as if she had a chip on her shoulder. She seemed as though she had been crying though, and Goten felt the twinge of concern for his beloved niece. Pan was never late, and if she was crying that hard, it had to be something bad.

Vegtea also took in her appearance, though he didn't calm. "What makes you think I'd accept your tardiness, brat?" he challenged. He too, crossed his arms, assuming an arrogant stance that oozed authority.

She powered up to Super Saiya-jin, though it still taxed her to do so. "Because if you don't, I'll attack you until you throw me down." She was impassioned with anger, and Goten marveled at this new side of Pan. He'd never seen her so infused and incensed.

Vegeta also powered up to Super Saiya-jin, standing his ground. "So be it brat. I assume that you've discovered of my son's proposal to the progeny of that bag of bolts and the wee man." Vegeta couldn't keep the distaste from his voice, for he wasn't entirely enthralled with his son's choice of mate. He would have much preferred it if his son had waited for Kakarrot's granddaughter to come of age. Her Saiya-jin blood, though third class it was, was much preferable over that blonde's human blood.

Pan grit her teeth, and Goten felt a sadness of his own. Trunks had said he'd wanted to marry Marron, start a life with her. Goten hadn't realized that Trunks would propose this soon. And Marron obviously had said yes, given the way Vegeta and Pan were talking about it and why Pan looked as though she'd spent the better half of her morning crying.

He felt the hurt in his chest, and he clasped at his gi, suddenly extremely uncomfortable. He had loved Marron, though he hadn't shown her in the best of ways at times. They had both been young, had made their mistakes. But a part of his heart still held feelings for her. Always would. She'd been a sweet escape in the hellish nightmare that were his younger years. If only briefly...

And now Trunks was going to marry her. He would have her always, hold her in his arms each night. They'd probably have children together, children he'd wish he was the father of. His own power jumped, and he attacked the arguing tutor and pupil with a ki blast.

Both mouthed their protests, but he didn't care. Pan had wasted a good portion of their morning with her tardiness, and as much as he respected her hurt, he was hurt too. And nothing could pummel this feeling away except for Vegeta's fists. Physical pain was the only thing that could replace his emotional pain. So he dove in head first.

Pan was grateful for Goten's interruption, since she didn't want to stand by while Vegeta took advantage of her emotional weakness. She moved to action, knowing full well she was in deep shit for being so late. But she'd rather take Vegeta's punishment than ever reliving the memory of that morning's conversation with Trunks.

That evening, when Bura joined them to train, the two students were already exhausted and beaten bloody. She wrinkled her nose in distaste of their uselessness. "Seriously? You went all hardcore and left nothing for me?" she protested, watching the two Son relatives try to pick themselves up off the floor. She had also heard the announcement of her brother's engagement, but she hadn't expected it to change the training routine so drastically. Goten and Pan had never gone through their sparring so intensely that they had no energy left for when she joined them in the late afternoons.

And she also knew that Goten and Marron used to be involved, way back in the day. She hadn't been very old herself, at the time, and since Goten and Marron's relationship hadn't lasted, she'd never given it much thought. But had Marron and Trunks's engagement upset Goten too? Did he still harbor feelings for Marron? She felt a pang of hurt, though she knew Goten's feelings wouldn't matter. Trunks and Marron were still marrying anyway.

But she knew it would be more of a challenge to win the heart of someone who already felt for someone else. But Bura knew she couldn't let it stop her. She'd gain Son Goten's respect, and his love too. But respect came first.

"Well, daughter, I still have more than enough power to break you beneath my fists." Her father was unscathed in comparison to his two students, and she believed him to be capable of what he claimed.

She suddenly felt angry too. For how unfair this whole game of love was. It wasn't safe at all, it was a battlefield. Pan loved Trunks, who loved Marron. And she loved Goten, who loved Marron, who loved Trunks. No one was really happy except for Marron and Trunks. "Okay. Let's go."

Vegeta turned his disdainful glare to his battered pupils. "Leave." It wasn't a polite suggestion, but a strict command. Goten and Pan helped one another up and retreated from the gravity chamber. He blurred then, and attacked his daughter, holding nothing back. Each of his students were weak to provocation, and he'd have to pound it out of them, as he'd had to pound discipline into them.

He had no problem with bitter work.

OUTSIDE OF THE gravity chamber Goten regarded his niece seriously. "Panny, are you going to be okay?" He knew he was experiencing his own hurts, but he still cared about hers, now that he'd pounded his anger, frustration, and upset out in blood and sweat.

She wiped at her bloodied lip, looking away. "Yeah, I'm okay."

He knew she wasn't, given her reaction. They had been close, when they were both younger and less...hurt. He wanted suddenly to cultivate the closeness between them again. "Hey, let me escort you home, okay?" Before she could protest he took her arm and dragged her into the air with him. "You're way beat, and Gohan would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

But part of him just didn't want to go back home to his mother's house. Because she'd probably heard the news too, and would be babbling incessantly about wedding plans and the like, and he just didn't want to hear it. Plus, a part of him wanted to talk to his brother, confide in Gohan, knowing full well he'd understand Goten's circumstances.

The flew back to Pan's home in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as they touched down in the backyard. "I'm sure they won't mind your arrival, so just come in." she said carelessly, entering her house from the back porch. He followed his niece wordlessly, entering the comfortable home filled with the good smell of Videl's cooking. His sister in law stood at the stove, a stained apron on, stirring something that smelled dangerously close to miso soup. She grinned upon seeing them, though that expression twisted into worry.

"Just what the heck happened to you two? Was Vegeta in a bad mood or something?" She left the stirring spoon in the soup and rushed over to them them, fretting over their multiple, superficial wounds.

Pan dodged her mother's soothing hands entirely. "It was just a rough training session, is all." she insisted, escaping the kitchen to go upstairs. Within seconds the water rushed through the house's pipes, signifying that she was intending to shower and not discuss any of it further.

Goten, however, welcomed Videl's concerned touches. He'd always had a crush on his brother's wife, and she had been the star of some of his more lewd fantasies when he'd hit puberty. So he didn't mind an extra bit of TLC, but would he ever betray his brother's trust. "It really was just an intense training regimen." He echoed his niece's words, moving to sit at the kitchen table.

She sighed, returning to her cooking. "You Saiya-jin. I can't believe I'm still not completely used to it after all these years." she muttered under her breath.

"Come on now, sweetie, we've been acquainted for twenty three years. I thought you would be used to us by now." Goten's brother announced as he entered his kitchen. Gohan, with his exemplary Saiya-jin hearing, had already heard most of the conversation, and had chose to leave the haven of his office to greet his brother and tease his wife.

"Sweetie, you're half alien. I'll never be used to it." she greeted her husband with a chaste kiss on the lips, returning her focus back to dinner, which consisted of quite a few dishes. Gohan gave his wife a playful swat on the rear and joined his younger brother at the kitchen table.

Goten smiled softly. "Hey Gohan." he greeted warmly.

Gohan nodded at his brother, sharing their classical Son grin. "So, you've heard the news, huh?" He wasn't going to beat around the proverbial bush.

The young son sighed heavily. "I know it's been years, but I still love her. I always will." he mourned aloud. How could he ever forget Marron? No girl since her had ever been able to make him forget her, no matter how cute or sweet they were.

Husband and wife exchanged glances, and Gohan clasped his hands on top of the table's surface. "Goten, I thought you and Trunks had talked about some of this..." Gohan recalled Goten's short synopsis of what had transpired between Trunks and himself in the last few days. Why was this any sort of surprise to Goten now?

"I know, I guess I just didn't think..." Goten trailed off as well, lost in thought. What had he been thinking? Why wasn't he handling this disappointment better? He had known it was coming. He wasn't stupid, at least not entirely.

"There is a girl out there who loves you for you, you know." Videl added, not turning from her task at hand.

Goten blinked. "Who?" He stared at his sister in law's back, wishing she'd turn around, but he didn't want to see her mysterious smirk he knew was plastered to her face.

"I'm not giving away secrets." she answered, and Goten grit his teeth.

"You already did by mentioning it in the first place!" he argued. He felt like a surly teenager again, complaining to Gohan and Videl, who were becoming more grown up by the day, and more like surrogate parents to him.

Videl leaned against the counter, facing her husband and brother in law. "Goten, I'm more metaphorical than literal, though I am sure there are plenty of girls that like you. If you'd give them the chance, that is." She knew full well exactly who liked Goten, but she knew that if Goten knew it now, nothing would come of it. She'd seen Bura from afar, knew the mooning crush she had for Goten. And quite frankly, the daughter of Bulma and Vegeta was probably the only girl on the planet that could truly keep Goten in line.

"Videl is right, you know. You always blow off any girl when it starts getting a little too deep." Gohan added, ever the united front with his wife.

Goten sighed. "Because none of them are quite...special..." he grudgingly explained. Videl was an amazing woman, which was part of the reason why she and Gohan's marriage had lasted so long despite the odds. Their mother was an fearsome woman, one worthy of Son Goku. And Bulma and Vegeta were a dynamic duo too, still as in love today, if not more, as they had been before Trunks was born. And Trunks was marrying Marron, who was incredible.

"Special, huh?" Videl chirped, turning back to tend to dinner. She looked thoughtful. "I can think of quite a few special girls, if you'd give them the chance." Though none would even amount to how special Bura Briefs was, but Videl wasn't going to give away Bura's advantage of Goten's cluelessness. The less he knew about the young girl's plans, the better, most likely.

"I don't want to date anyway. I have to train Bura right now, and Vegeta is training me to be stronger, and all of this is just bullshit getting dragged up because Trunks and Marron are engaged now." Goten dismissed irritably. Honestly, he was busy. He didn't have time for some chick. Other things were more important, like the world's safety. Oh great, he inwardly groaned, he was becoming his own father.

Videl and Gohan exchanged knowing glances, and nothing more was said. But Videl was secretly rooting for Bura's cause. She'd been the same lovesick teenager when it came to Gohan. There was just something about Son men that drew women to them. Their kindness, their good hearts, and their charisma, probably. In any case, Goten was in for a rude awakening once Bura Briefs bloomed into her full potential.

UUB WAS NOT the most intelligent man when it came to relationship math or human interaction, though he was a genius when it came to fighting. As a warrior, he could typically solve any problem that presented itself. Which was the whole reason he had caught Son Goku's attention to begin with, and had resulted in a decade long wilderness training session. The man had even neglected his own family because he had believed in the former Majin's potential, for Kami's sake!

It had been years since he'd fused with Majin Buu permanently to become Majuub and fight Baby. Not soon after he had assisted Goku and his friends in fighting Super Android 17, and had been present also for the Shadow Dragon fiasco. He'd waved good bye to Son Goku, closed a chapter of his life, and returned to the village that had birthed him, his heart heavy from the loss of an old mentor and friend.

The aforementioned years since the aforementioned events had been quiet and actually more alarming than an enemy's attack could ever be. He had discovered that during times of peace, he was really quite useless. And bored stupid. Without a relentless training regimen or an enemy to fight, he was, well, quite useless and struggling to find meaning.

And lonely. It was hard to relate to people when you could destroy them with a flick of your finger. And since he'd fused with Majin Buu, his power had increased exponentially. It was very much like having a cyclone of power to wield available constantly. So he had left his village not much later than he had arrived, choosing a life of solitude in the forest.

He made a small home for himself and kept the meager currency Hercule had given him to survive. Majin Buu had been a close companion of Earth's champion, and Hercule hadn't wanted him to struggle financially. Uub had humbly accepted the money, though he hadn't used much of it. He survived off of the wilderness; fishing, hunting, and gathering for his sustenance. He shadow boxed himself, and would meditate for hours at a time. He would sometimes reach deep within himself and speak to Majin Buu, though the eon-old being was weary, and preferred his dormancy.

And so, the three years since Goku's departure had passed slowly, and he was still lonely. So when, out of the ordinary, four strong and familiar ki signatures began to whirl and flair on a daily basis, it had caught his attention. He had remained in the woods for nearly two weeks, observing the pattern that the four ki signatures followed. Seeing that they were consistent, it was obvious some sort of routine had been established. He didn't sense any other powers that could match these four, so it didn't seem like a new enemy had presented itself.

Curious, he left the comfort and solitude of the forest and flew to where the four powers grew and expanded, colliding with one another in the phenomenal way that only Goku's kin and acquaintance could. He found himself in the teeming city, standing outside of Capsule Corporation's property. He moved quickly, avoiding the security guards and cameras that had been set up along the perimeters, and found himself within the backyard.

It was right before noon, the sun hanging at it's highest point in it's zenith across the sky. The gravity dome muffled most of the sounds that accompanied intensive training, so it was unlikely that they would notice his ki. Besides, he'd taken up the habit of concealing his ki, for he hadn't wanted to broadcast his location to either friend or foe.

He approached the gravity chamber, ringing its bell. The door opened with a swish, and he found himself looking down upon the surly form of Vegeta. He stared for a moment, for he hadn't had interaction with another human being in over two years. He was unaccustomed to interacting or even speaking. He couldn't recall the last time he had used his own voice.

"Well, are you going to stare, or are you going to come inside?" Vegeta barked in his typical temperamental manner. He would have probably been startled several years ago by Vegeta's mannerisms, but he was an adult now, and not as timid as he been. He entered the gravity chamber, acknowledging Goten, Bura, and Pan's presence. "What do you want, boy?" Vegeta pressed, his arms crossing in his usual fashion.

He cleared his throat, his voice gravelly from disuse, and regarded Goku's friends and kin calmly. "I picked up your ki signatures, saw that this had become a pattern, and was curious to see if my assistance was needed." He noted that Pan's powers, in particular, had increased significantly. He was glad, she had held much promise when they had been younger.

Goten grinned. Uub was a potential peer, company that would likely be much more pleasant and companionable than Vegeta's. "There's no enemy attacking. We just all felt motivated to keep up on our training."

Vegeta saw where this was leading. Uub would want to join them, since he lacked a training partner himself. And, like Goten's addition, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. The reincarnated being had trained under Goku's tutelage for a decade, and had been a valuable asset during trying times. He could also teach Bura the basics, push Pan father in her training, and provide a challenging match for Goten and himself. "Since you're accustomed to training with Goku, joining our program shouldn't kill you, unless you've gone soft in these last three years." He informed the young Majin, testing his will with rude insinuation.

"No Sir," Uub replied, his excitement evident in voice, "I've kept up with my training on my own." He didn't mind Vegeta's insult, for he was a warrior far more skilled than himself, and he longed for the thrill of battle. He could handle Vegeta's surly nature if it meant training again with beings just as powerful as yourself. He trembled with excitement at the prospect.

"So you'll train with us too?" Pan queried, gracing Uub with a smile. The boy that her grandfather had taken a decade to train had become a powerful man, and one whom she respected. He'd saved her life personally, and had selflessly assisted her and her friends when Chikyuu had been threatened. He was a strong warrior, and would be an asset should a problem arise in the future.

For some strange reason, his heart leapt at his mentor's granddaughter's smile. "If you'll have me." he answered gently, doing his best to ignore the rapid beat of his heart. It was a sweet rush of relief, to know that he wouldn't be alone any longer, that there were those of his fighting aptitude available.

Bura grinned, for she knew that Uub was a powerful warrior, and would deeply enhance their training experience. She could already tell that her father was looking forward to intense one on one battle with the Majin. And Goten seemed happy that a male companion closer to his own age would now be joining them. Anything that pleased Goten secretly pleased her.

And Pan, her best friend, seemed eager to get to know the student her own grandfather had taken a decade to mentor. Plus Bura recalled the teasing she'd given Pan about Uub's availability, so the romantic drama that would play out would be intriguing. "The more the merrier, right Dad?" The Saiya-jin Princess was unable to keep the excitement from leaking into her voice.

"Just keep training. I won't have this gravity room become a co-ed dormitory." The Prince of Saiya-jin snapped, surprising his students with his wry wit. His students straightened, quick to obey their teacher's command. Uub fell right into line, already familiar with vigorous training routines due to his time spent with Goku. Besides, no more formalities were needed. The flurry of fists and feet were a language he knew all too well.


	6. Episode 6

AN: Hope you all enjoy. Best Path. :)

Burn More Slowly

AND AS THE afternoon progressed, Uub became instantly comfortable with his peers. He'd been lonely, longing for the company of a fellow warrior. He'd become so accustomed to Son Goku's constant company for a decade that when he'd left, Uub hadn't quite known what to do with himself. The appearance of several enemies filled him with momentary purpose, but they had all been defeated, and the times of peace had left him with no task.

But now there was a task to set one's self to, and he eagerly complied with this new regimen that the friends of Son Goku were pursuing. They all seemed eager to increase their own powers and abilities, and he fully sought to do the same. He was also curious about sparring Vegeta, for he had been Goku's longtime rival, and certainly a worthy opponent. The man was a well of galactic fighting knowledge.

Uub assessed Goten, who had been slacking on his training. The boy was powerful though, with much potential. And he'd fought beside Goten before, and liked him as a person. It was also somewhat nostalgic, since Goten resembled Goku so closely. So if Goten maintained his discipline, he would be a competent warrior to have at one's side.

Vegeta's daughter Bura was probably the person Uub knew the least, for he'd never fought beside her before. He hadn't known she was a fighter, but as he'd learned throughout the day, Pan's transformation into Super Saiya-jin had greatly inspired both Goten and Bura to better themselves. She was demi Saiya-jin, he knew, so it was likely that she could exhibit the same power her father and brother did. He didn't doubt her prowess as she came more into her abilities.

And Pan. Son Pan. The granddaughter of the his mentor and man he'd considered dear friend. She had become Super Saiya-jin, as she'd always claimed she would. She had so much spirit, so similar to that of her grandfather's, that he couldn't help but respect her. He was impressed by her abilities, her new found power, and how lovely she'd become. The thought threw him off, but he recognized it for the truth it was. She'd grown into a lovely woman.

As pretty as Bura was, Pan intrigued him much more. Perhaps it was because she was a link to Son Goku, and Uub missed him. He certainly liked Goten because of his affiliation with his father. But Son Pan was undeniably magnetizing in her own right. He somehow managed to regard her as a fellow warrior despite his strange attraction to her. The routine of fighting was numbing enough for him, though it required discipline to keep focus whenever Pan was near him.

This was something new and unusual for him. It seemed a lot had changed on this day, though he wasn't displeased. He just had to think on how to handle such a new predicament. This was something his well loved mentor hadn't taught him. He'd have to figure it out on his own. All problems had multiple solutions. Uub immersed himself deeply in the training, hoping fervently that an answer would come.

HOURS LATER, ONCE the warriors had exhausted themselves, Vegeta excused himself without even bidding any of his students good night. He had no need to explain himself, though he was thoroughly satisfied with this turn of events. Only two weeks ago he'd been looking down his future path, seeing endless days of solitary training, only to discover in the days that followed he was now consumed with not only Pan as his student, but three others as well. Each talented in their own way, with ample potential to increase their abilities.

This pleasant turn of events had elevated his mood higher than it had been for a good three years. Goku's absence affected him much more deeply than he was caring to admit, though the loved ones in his life knew the blow that had been dealt to him without having to bring it to words. To be the last true member of your race, alone, stranded on a backwater planet that held no challenge...his future had seemed bleak indeed, until now Pan, Bura, Goten, and Uub, in succession, had appeared, giving him opportunity to mold the unformed clay that were their respective powers.

His mate noticed the change, eying him curiously from her vanity as he strode the room to enter their master bath. Her interest was such that it took her from her nightly beauty routine to follow him into the bathroom, where he had begun to undress for a much needed shower. He didn't bother to hide the small smile that graced his lips, for his mate was a woman his emotions could be safe with.

"Vegeta?" she questioned, more intrigued than concerned. She had even neglected to leave her hairbrush on the vanity, her hand still half remembering to grasp it as she gawked at her husband's cheery mood.

He took her in his arms, the hairbrush flying quickly from her hand to collide with the wall, earning a squawk of surprise that rattled his ears. "Vegeta!" She wrapped her arms about him, holding on for dear life. What on earth had gotten into him?

"Woman, I am...beyond words." he nuzzled her nose, nipping almost playfully, earning a squeak from his mate. He smoothed her hair from her face, his smile widening. Uub's appearance lifted his heart higher. The last remnant of Kakarrot's prowess, the student he'd left behind, the techniques that could be gleaned from the boy...

She cupped her nose, staring at the unendingly stoic man who had transformed seemingly before her eyes. "Did training with the kids go well?" she asked earnestly, for the last two weeks had consisted of Vegeta stumbling into bed, nary a word said before he passed out. And he would rise before her every morning without fail, so she'd seen little of her mate. She didn't resent his recent renaissance, for she knew that this was something that he enjoyed, however much he wouldn't let on.

"Even better. Not only have they all been doing well, but Uub has arrived from seemingly nowhere and he is seeking my tutelage as well." he rushed in explanation, grasping his woman's shoulders in an attempt to convey his excitement at this change of pace. Never before had the prospect of other warriors' company appealed to him so much. Uub was truly the closest thing he could get to sparring with Kakarrot himself, for he had trained the boy intensely for ten years, teaching him an array of useful techniques.

"Uub? No one has seen him since Goku has disappeared!" she exclaimed, surprised that Goku's last prodigy had returned from his seclusion. It fully dawned on her why Vegeta was so excited. "He's...it's the closest you'll ever get to fighting Son Goku again." She expressed his very thought, putting it so eloquently into words that best described his brimming excitement. He kissed her deeply, enthusiastic that she understood him so well. When he withdrew from the intimate joining of their mouths, the smile was also in her eyes. "I'm happy that you are so happy." she informed him cheerily.

His grin felt odd even to himself. "I swore to Kakarrot that I would protect Chikyuu in his absence. And now...if anything were to happen..." His hand cupped her cheek gingerly. "If I fall, I won't be the last line of defense." He felt comforted in knowing his mate would be safe, regardless of his own fate.

She trembled, though she was much closer to her own death than he his own. "Don't speak like that." The shiver that had run down her spine was akin to those that she had felt in the past. When there had been enemies, when she had doubted that Earth would survive the attack, that Son Goku and her own wayward husband could save the day. But they had always won, had always pooled their resources together at the last possible moment, had achieved victory over their enemies somehow.

But Son Goku was long gone, and with him, the Dragonballs. If anything were to happen, as the ominous feeling trilling down her spine was suggesting, there were no 'do-overs', replays, or second chances. "Please don't say that..." she pleaded, her emotions far too strong than what the present moment was calling for.

His brow furrowed as he noticed her concerned and took it seriously. "Woman, I am only trying to ensure our survival, Earth's safety. That is all, fret not." He tucked an aquamarine, gossamer strand behind the shell of her ear. "I cannot guarantee that a new villain won't arise, but if he does, I will protect you and this backwater mud ball you call home."

She mustered a smile, but there was a sinking feeling in in her stomach. "I know you will. You're my hero." She was old now, sixty four, and there had never truly been peace. From the Red Ribbon army to the Shadow Dragons...there was always some battle looming in the future, breathing it's icy breath down their collars, giving her the chills she grudgingly knew well.

He undressed her carefully, his fingers deftly keeping each button of her nightgown attached. "Come shower with me." he coaxed. It had been two weeks since they had made love, and he missed her. He had become so consumed in his students' progress that he'd neglected his wife and his duty to her. A problem he would have to rectify in this very moment.

She was still responsive to his touch, even after thirty two years together, and she sank into his embrace. "Alright." She found that delicate spot behind his ear, where his jaw met his neck, and she nipped. She could never keep her hands off of the sultry Saiya-jin Prince she had willfully pursued in her youth.

She still ignited the flames of his passions as well, though it had been many years spent together and she was aging more rapidly than he. His body responded, hardening to her soft touches and caresses. "Woman." he murmured, pulling her into the shower's spray. He washed away the physical evident of his arduous day, and forgot it completely. He focused on his mate, gladdened by her responsiveness.

For the first time in several years, he felt truly happy. That there was something of worth on this dusty ball of ore. And so it came to be that Vegeta, who had once been a lone warrior, Earth left in his care under the parting words of Son Goku, became the sensei of Son Goten, Uub, Son Pan, and Bura Briefs.

UUB, GOTEN, BURA, and Pan had observed as their teacher left, but weren't troubled by his non-verbal departure. They, each in their own manner, had come to know and understand Vegtea through the course of their lives. He left when he wanted, he trained when he desired, and the hell with anyone who had anything to say about it.

"So, Uub, where have you been these last few years?" Pan queried, breaking the silence, as she sank to the ground, her legs unwilling at the moment to support her own weight. The day's activities had thoroughly exhausted her as well. The others sat, forming a circle, and regarded the Majin curiously. They, too, wanted to know Uub's tale of his doings since Goku had left. Had he fared any better then they had?

It seemed to be a reoccurring theme that they were all struggling to find purpose in the departure of Son Goku. He had touched each of their lives, had been the glue that had held them and all of Earth together. And now, since he was gone, they had to change. To adapt. To become something they didn't have the strength to be when someone who had been stronger had always been there, similar to a security blanket or lifeline.

Uub blushed slightly, looking down. "I didn't quite fit in with my village once the battles were over..." He neglected to give reference to Goku's vanishing act, for it still sparked the ache of sadness within him. "So I left, and took up residence deep within the wilderness. I survived off of the land's prosperity, and would often meditate for many hours, or spar with myself."

Goten chuckled, clapping Buu's reincarnation on the shoulder companionably. "I did less than you have the last three years, so don't feel bad." Though his father had neglected him to train Uub, he couldn't hate the boy personally. It wasn't like Uub had mad any decisions that were out of malice. Goten would jump at the chance of a decade long training session with his father, especially when he'd been younger. He wondered briefly if his father would have trained him for a decade if he had shown more dedication to fighting.

His own bitterness as a teenager had him reject the art form Goku had so loved, thinking perhaps that it would cut his father as deeply to the core as he himself had been cut. But, no, Goku hadn't minded, stating simply that whatever Goten wanted to do with his life he'd be proud of. So apparently Goku hadn't had any ambitions for his son. Goten saw how much Vegeta had put foot up proverbial ass for Trunks to amount to a man worthy of the title Prince of Saiya-jin.

But Trunks had his own issues regarding his father. Goten wasn't sure who had it worse between his friend and himself regarding their fathers...it was perhaps why Trunks had also seemingly rejected the warrior's lifestyle, choosing instead to pursue the path of becoming one of the planet's most successful company presidents.

"I looked for you, you know. After Grandpa left." Pan finally confessed, drawing her legs to her chest, keeping the conversation on a more somber note. Her uncle had issues of his own to contend with, but she wanted to get through to Uub how much she would have appreciated his company.

Uub felt the familiar pang of regret. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." Had he known that Pan was searching for him, he would have come out of his hermitage to converse with her. He'd been lonely himself, after all. But he hadn't thought that Goku's granddaughter would want to have anything to do with him, regardless of his connection to her grandfather, that didn't necessarily mean anything. Though it seemed that it indeed had.

Pan shook her head. "It's okay...I just...I missed Grandpa, and you had known him so well...I wanted to also learn his techniques that he'd taught you." She didn't mention that she'd also been intrigued by the man her grandfather had put so much stock into. She'd wanted to spar him, and well, she just found the Majin to be fascinating. She couldn't quite put her proverbial finger on it. But she was drawn to him. Perhaps Bura's teasing had gotten to her brain.

"You're a good man, Uub. You've proved yourself time and time again." Goten added, a soft smile gracing his Son features. He looked so much like Goku that everyone was struck by the resemblance.

"So..." An idea was occurring to Bura, which gained the others attention. If Uub was now going to train with them...

"Bura?" Pan queried, wondering what her closest friend was getting at. Bura and her ideas were usually pretty disarming and unusual. She was certainly a creative person, coming up with intriguing concepts. Pan sometimes wished she possessed such creativity herself. But she certainly admired the quality in her friend and was curious as to what she was devising next.

"You're not going to keep living in the woods, right?"

The Majin blinked and flushed slightly at the Saiya-jin Princess's probing. "Well...that was my plan. With my savings...I would only be able to afford living accommodations for a short time." He felt strangely embarrassed, he knew he wasn't human and whenever he failed to upkeep humankind's expectations and standards he felt insecure.

The blue haired beauty shook her head. "Come stay at Capsule Corp. We have more than enough room, and you'll be so much closer than out in the middle of nowhere. And don't worry about food, we already have to feed Dad as it is." her eyes and her tone were soft, female, insistent. Something so yin that few females were capable of it to this degree.

The warrior opened his mouth to object, for he realized that Vegeta's daughter had a mysterious pull that affected everyone around her, but before he could even attempt to resist such magnetizing intensity, the Saiya-jin Princess crossed her arms and adopted a serious consternation. "I insist." she pressed. This was the example of her yin force.

Goten laughed. His new student of only two weeks was more like her father than anyone was necessarily comfortable with; able to assert her will above any others. He had learned early on in training with Bura that once she acquired this state that it was unwise to think that he could win or achieve victory over her. "You've pretty much had your mind made up for you just now." he informed the reincarnation of Buu. He had to warn the poor soul before them of the dangers involved when pushing Bura's wrath.

Uub blushed and bowed his head humbly. It seemed there was no fighting the inevitable. Son Goku had taught him the importance of knowing what battles could not be won. Accept this defeat, retreat to neutral, and looking for the next opening where you may achieve your next victory. "I accept. Thank you."

"Let's choose a room for you." Bura excitedly suggested. She rose and the others followed, curious to see just how lavish Uub's new lodgings would be. She chose a wing that was close to the gravity room, which Uub was grateful for, because he wasn't certain he could navigate the maze that was Capsule Corporation.

The bluenette walked down a particular hall, her three companions following, and she chose a specific door. The demi Saiya-jin turned to regard her companions and grinned. "This one is quite simple, masculine. I think it will suit you."

Uub, not one for aesthetics, nodded. "I'm happy with anything, really." he assured Vegeta's daughter. He was indeed a simple man with simple needs. He hoped he wasn't going to be putting the Briefs family out too much by his presence. He was aware of his extent of simplicity within his humility, and how perhaps it needed to be temperance closer to the side of liberal.

Bura opened the door and entered. The room was simple in decor, though the effects were lavish in quality. Rich drapes hung over the windows to block the sunlight that was likely to intrude in the mornings, and the carpet was thick and lush. The room was dressed in a color scheme of rich browns and natural greens. Every now and again white would appear as an accent to lighten the mood. A king sized bed, table, dresser, and desk all matched quaintly. A generous sized closet and bathroom were also present. It was quite the little suite.

Uub, having lived in the wilderness for so long, allowed his jaw to drop. Perhaps this was the more tempered result between simple and lavish. He would absorb this tempered extravagance, and be aware to never take it for granted. "This is-"

"Don't protest. This is your new home until you decide otherwise." Bura interrupted. She had set her tolerance, and the rest of them were at the whim of that decision.

Pan and Goten exchanged glances, for even they had not seen all of the rooms in Capsule Corp. They both almost felt reluctant to return to their own homes having seen this splendor that resided in C.C. "I'll show you where our kitchen is, and you're welcome to join in on family meals, whenever we do happen to dine at the same time." The heiress continued, not allowing room for any more sort of protest from the Majin.

Uub felt overwhelmed. "Wow. All I guess I can say is...well, thank you." He'd always been somewhat alone in his life, the only time anyone ever extending generosity to him being Son Goku's offer to train him for a decade. And now the Briefs family, beloved friends of the since passed Son Goku, were extending themselves quite unselfishly.

Bura smiled softly, softening her posture to hug herself protectively. "It's no problem. This really means a lot to Dad." She smiled wistfully. "He's been so down ever since Goku-san disappeared. And this...this makes him really happy, training all of us. It gives him some sort of purpose."

Uub felt her statement strike a similar chord within himself. He too, longed for purpose. Vegeta, a man as powerful as himself, experience the same isolation of being one of the last powerful on this side of the universe. They had more in common than he'd initially realized.

Goten nodded in agreement. "He acts all annoyed with us, but he secretly likes it." They all shared a chuckle, for Vegeta hadn't edited himself with the addition of Uub, so the Majin was quite versed with the Saiya-jin Prince's colorful vocabulary.

Bura's mindset shifted as the small group settled into a comfortable silence. "Well, Uub, I'll leave you to get settled in." she addressed the Majin warmly. She grasped her best friend's arm. "Pan, would you like to sleep over tonight? I'd really like to catch up on things."

Pan blinked, uncertain as to what Bura was up to. Bura usually came up with crazy schemes, and she usually went along for the ride. And she never seemed able to guess just what the Saiya-jin Princess was plotting. If she wanted to know, she'd have to go along. "Okay, no problem. I'll just need to call my Dad and let him know." Her father had pretty much given her free reign at this point. Her birthday was nearing quickly. Gohan wouldn't mind, especially if she was spending time with Bura.

"We'll see you boys tomorrow morning, bright and early!" Bura's voice was honey to the warrior's ears, and she knew it. Before they could reply, she dragged Pan with her towards her bedroom.

Uub and Goten watched the girls' retreat and turned to one another. "So, uh, do you need help getting any of your things?" Goten asked for lack of something better to say. Now that he was alone with Uub, he felt kind of shy. He didn't know the boy well, though he liked him, but he was somewhat responsible for his father's absence of a decade. Not that it was personal any more, but Goten needed to know Uub's side of it before he really get any closer to him.

"Sure, if you're willing to take the flight." the Majin replied openly. He'd been prepared to do everything by himself, so the company could be a welcome change.

Goten shrugged. "Why not? I've got nothing better to do." Seemingly in agreement, Goten led Uub out of the Capsule Corp compound and took to the air. The weather was nice, and he found himself enjoying the flight just for the sake of it.

Uub guided them from there, since no one had been able to find him until he found them. The silence was companionable, but Uub saw the flight as an opportunity to better come to know Son Goku's younger son. "So, what have you been up to the last few years?" he inquired curiously.

Goten didn't even know what to say. He was a bum, oftentimes considered a nobody, and did nothing. It wasn't impressive. At least Uub was all meditative in the woods like a monk. He'd sat on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons with his hand down his boxers. "Well, as I told you earlier, less than you have. I live with my Mom, work odd jobs when I feel like it, and...I dunno, that's about it really."

Uub felt the bleak lack of vigor in Goten's recent years. It had been equally depressing for himself, so he understood. "Goku's leaving really worked you over, huh?" Goten remained silent, and Uub checked to see if he had angered the man. It was a risk to have insinuated that, but it was most likely true. It was evident that Goten had loved his father deeply.

"...well, it wasn't as shocking to me as it was when he left us to train you." There wasn't anything personally about the statement, it was more of a passing observation. Like he'd just realized it himself, almost, and was choosing not to direct the anger at Uub specifically. "I was younger then, too naive to realize that it was a pattern that he did. That he could come, give you everything, and take it away just as you were getting used to it, liking it."

Uub knew what he meant all too well. Son Goku had devoted all of his time and energy to the reincarnation of Buu for ten solid years. And Goku was such a loving and caring man that everyone felt warmth just being around him. In just seeing him grace them with his high wattage smile. He was infectious with his optimism and cheer. Uub found himself once again missing his tutor, and feeling sad that he was gone.

But Goku hadn't abandoned him repeatedly, and Uub had been a grown man when Goku had left, and Goku certainly wasn't his own father either. His repeated departures must have wounded his sons deeply. So Uub said so: "I'm sorry Goten. Your father was a great man, but his actions have hurt you."

Goten seemed conflicted, but nodded. "Thanks man. It means a lot that you see how his decision to train you has affected my family."

"I never thought it would become that. I thought I would win that tournament to earn the money to secure my village's safety. I didn't know that I was the reincarnation of Buu, that his defeat had caused my birth, my life. I also didn't understand your Dad's...judgment calls, or decision making process. I think he got overzealous about the future battle he and I would have." He felt guilty then, for being the reason Goku had hurt his family so badly. How could he repay them for how he had inconvenienced them?

"Hey, I'm not blaming you. You didn't take him away on purpose or anything like that. He was just being a thoughtless dick. He could have handled that a number of different ways that were more functional."Goten surprised himself with how well spoken his reply was, expletives aside.

Uub smiled softly. "Well, I hope it doesn't interfere with the friendship you and I can have."

Goten shook his head. "We're good in my book. You're an awesome fighter. I wouldn't mind having someone like you to have my back, especially now that Trunks has kind of stepped off of the battlefield now..." he trailed off as it occurred to him how much he'd miss fighting alongside Trunks. He was his true partner in crime, the one person he knew as well as himself. They'd even fused to become Gotenks together. How much more intimately could you know another hetero male?

"Trunks won't fight anymore?" Uub was shocked. He had noticed Trunks's absence, but hadn't questioned it. Perhaps Vegeta's son was more preoccupied with his duties as president of that corporation, but surely he'd bear arms if an enemy showed up, wouldn't he?

"Probably not. He just got engaged to Marron, and if they starting having kids, he'll be even less likely to fight, since there aren't Dragonballs anymore." Goten verified.

Uub scowled. "That's actually kind of counter productive, since if we were defeated, and his help could have helped us to win, then it'd be partly his fault if he didn't help." he protested, somewhat angry. Didn't Trunks feel morally obligated to defend Earth no matter what the cost?

Goten sighed. "I guess it's up to free will. If he doesn't want to fight, he isn't obligated to, no matter anyone's expectation. I can't force him, and I don't blame him." Uub was probably a better man than him, because even he had bucked against the system their parents had valiantly fought for. He'd changed his mind now, having decided that Earth was more important, and that he would be there if the need arose. But Trunks had his own point of view, and Goten respected that.

Uub's attention shifted to where they were going, and he dropped the argument. He wasn't going to pass any more judgment over Goten's close friend. They were close to the area he'd been camping in, so he headed down towards the humble hut he'd made. Goten followed him, and together they touched down in the dense forest. They picked through the leaves and brush, though Uub had worn a small path throughout the woods in his basic routines of hunting, gathering, and going to the nearby river to bathe.

Goten was glad the other warrior hadn't picked some spiderweb ridden cave to dwell in. That would have been less pleasant. When he laid eyes on Uub's humble home, he didn't make the typical 'nice love shack' comment or whatever else obnoxious thing he could have said. He merely helped the man pack and encapsulate his few belongings, and they returned to Capsule Corp in little time.

Uub thanked the younger Son for assistance, and they parted ways, knowing they would see one another in the morning. They weren't exactly friends yet, but they had made an effort in the right direction.


End file.
